


Dorm 105B

by PeppermintGlow



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Boarding School AU, High School AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-22 01:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 46,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6065314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeppermintGlow/pseuds/PeppermintGlow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world that divides its population into four categories - humans, alphas, betas and omegas - Jihoon is a boy who holds many secrets deep within his heart. When the new alphas come to school, everything starts to spill out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Orientation

“New semester, new me,” the boy promised his reflection as he tied his tie incorrectly for the fifth time. “This shit ain’t fair,” he then muttered.

“I’ll do it.”

“Thanks, Seokmin.” The boy turned to his dormmate, hands clasped behind his back as his best friend did up his tie. “You’re the best.”

“Guess what?!”

“Oh Dear God in Heaven if You can hear my Prayer Please Kill Me, Your Humble Servant Jihoon, Right this Minute-”

“Shut up and listen!” Seungkwan bounced into the dorm, his face all a-gleam. The boy had been up and rearing to go since 6AM this morning. How he and Jihoon survived in the same dormitory was still a mystery. “The hallways are _flooded_ with new students!”

“Yes, I know, a new batch of freshmen who are short enough to make me feel at home,” Jihoon grumped. “What about it?”

“No, no, no – not freshmen!”

Jeonghan finally swung out of his bunkbed, tresses of his long hair falling over. “What?” he asked sleepily.

“The Great School For Academic Alphas and Betas in Seoul closed down because their principle embezzled all the money! _All_ their students are here – all of them!”

The young gentlemen of dorm 105B stared at the boy in the hallway.

“ _Alphas?_ ” The word was like magic: suddenly his long hair was shiny and in place, and he was awake; Jeonghan quickly grabbed a pair of pants from the end of his bed and hopped down off the top bunk. “Here?”

“It’s not like we don’t have alphas,” Seokmin grumped, letting Jihoon’s tie loose.

The boys became a flurry of questions for their Diva Boo, but the boy just happily sauntered into the dorm and sat down on a chair. “The best way to learn what’s up is to get ourselves down to orientation.”

For the first time in the three years that the boys of dorm 105 had been together, Yoon Jeonghan was washed, clothed, and actually _awake_ for orientation.

Throughout all the turmoil, Jihoon stayed quiet: when his dormmates noticed, they didn’t ask. When it finally occurred to Seokmin how hard this would be for the boy, he put his arm around Jihoon’s shoulders as they walked from the dormitories to the school halls.

Jihoon didn’t speak, even though he appreciated the gesture.

The halls were _rank_ with the scent of alphas – musk, spice, sweat, honey, tea and wood tones seemed to be everywhere. And then there was the scent of betas, too: what they called a _silent_ scent. It was the way water tasted: it definitely smelled, but nobody could place it.

Seungkwan – an omega in literally every aspect – walked up front, his gleamingly happy face brightening with every pace. The four were a sight that caught the attention of many a new eye.

It was rare for omegas to travel in packs unaccompanied by alphas, for sure: but for such good-looking omegas? The new alphas and betas stopped and stared.

Seungkwan, with his happy demeanour, bright disposition and gratingly loud voice was a stand-out figure for sure; Seokmin’s sunny smile was an attractive thing, never mind that he’d already been spoken for by an alpha. Jeonghan was the real show-stopper: his delicate features paired with beautiful long hair that he tended to flick over would make anybody stop and stare. He was without a doubt the most beautiful creature an alpha could lay eyes on. Even the omega girls accepted that.

Orientation only happened – God Bless – a couple of times a year. It was when the great auditorium in the South Wing was prepped with a billion chairs and Principle Kim stood on the podium, looking abnormally small on the huge stage, and gave the students their first boring lecture on _working together_ and _Alphas, Betas and Omegas together_ and _Please don’t have another egg salad cafeteria food fight this year again_.

But of course today, Orientation was far fuller than it usually was, hot and a little claustrophobic.

It made sense for the New School Of ABO to take in the students: it was a school built for a hundred thousand students, but only a couple thousand attended. Most of the great halls were empty and always had been.

Principle Kim – more like a fond older brother of fifty than an actual principle – had his regular speech about welcoming students and blablabla, when it happened.

“As most of you well know, this year we have plenty of new arrivals from the Great Academy. I welcome you all to New of ABO and I truly hope you will find it to your liking.”

Seungkwan leaned over to Jeonghan. “Listen… try not to have half the school in the dorm, okay?”

“Shut up,” Jeonghan muttered.

 “…assign you to classes. When you get to homeroom this morning you will be assigned to dormitories according to your type. Please listen carefully.”

Seungkwan gripped Jihoon’s arm – painfully, but the older boy didn’t mind so much. School pictures flashed on the huge screen behind Principle Kim as he read out classrooms and then names.

“Class 12A.”

Jeonghan’s hand rested on Woozi’s. It was their class.

“Choi Seungcheol, Alpha. Wen Junhui, Alpha. Hong Joshua, Beta. Kim Mingyu, Omega. Jeon Wonwoo, Beta.”

A ripple went through the students. Great Academy only had twelve omegas in it – omegas who were emitted due a need to be with their alphas, or who were unclaimed younger brothers of alphas or betas and needed constant protection.

“See anything you like?”

“I see a lot of things I like,” Jeonghan grinned a little.

“You dirty.”

Jeonghan winked once.

 

* * *

 

 

There wasn’t much else to do than wait – Seungkwan and Seokmin went to their own respective homeroom classes and Jeonghan and Jihoon walked together.

“It’ll be fine,” Jeonghan sighed.

“We only have one alpha in our class,” Jihoon mumbled. “It’s just uncomfortable.”

“I know. It’s okay, really.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Jeonghan’s desk was all the way at the front of class – Jihoon’s was at the back, near the window. He made a point of it not to look anywhere besides the teacher, his desk and the window.

“Class, these are your new classmates. This is Seungcheol, Joshua, Mingyu, Junhui and Wonwoo.” It took him a moment. “Oh right, your dorms. Seungcheol, Jun and Wonwoo, you’re in 265A. Mingyu, you’re in 192B. Joshua I’m afraid you’re placed with omegas in 105B. That’s with Jeonghan and Jihoon.”

Jeonghan perked up happily, insisting Joshua sit next to him: the others were assigned random seats in class.

Now that there were new students in class, homeroom was a tedious affair. Usually it was a “get to class if you are late and work on homework” hour to start off the day but oh no, now everybody had to _introduce_ themselves. They could say whatever they liked, as long as the basics were there.

Jihoon was not a vocal person. He didn’t speak. In fact he barely even spoke to his best friends, never mind to the whole class out loud.

“I’m Jihoon. I’m seventeen. I like music.” He sat back down again.

It wasn’t strange that he didn’t name his type – many omegas were embarrassed about their status – but his voice was so soft, it was too obvious.

Mingyu, the new omega, was quite focused on: when he stood, he seemed to almost reach the roof he was so tall. And… kind of built, too. He had a dark, mature look on his handsome face.

“I’m Mingyu, I’m seventeen, and I’m an omega. Seungcheol is my older brother. I like going out with friends, picnics, and food – lots of food. My favourite colour is blue. Oh! And my father is the president of the Samsil Group.”

There was a moment of silence as that was processed.

The Samsil Group practically owned Alphas, Betas and Omegas. They were made up of ambassadors, ministers and doctors for ABOs – what they produced were products, medicine and technologies especially for ABOs.

Mingyu sat down again with a happy-innocent-puppy look on his face.

Well, if this wasn’t an interesting first day of school.


	2. The Smell of an Imprinting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphas and Betas are divided amongst their respective classes and dorms. Seungcheol and Seungkwan have an abrasive meeting. Jihoon is Grumpy McGrumperson.

Jeonghan pulled Joshua along with him to his table in the cafeteria: Seungkwan was there with Seokmin and Jooheon. “Hey guys! This is Joshua, he’s our new roommate! Joshua this is Seungkwan and that’s Seokmin, and this is Jooheon Seokmin’s alpha and well – you met Jihoon already.”

Jihoon sidled up silently, putting his tray down on the table with no more sound than a mouse’s pitter-patter of feet. He began to eat quietly, as always.

Joshua smiled a little, obviously a little overwhelmed by Jeonghan’s exuberance. “Uh, hi guys.”

“Listen let’s go grab something to eat. We’ll be back in a minute!”

Seungkwan leaned forward over to Jihoon when they were gone. “He’s…?”

“Beta,” Jihoon whispered.

“Oh. How’s your new classmates?”

“We’ve got the sons of the CEO of the Samsil group,” Jihoon mumbled.

“…oh.”

Silence occurred as the two shortest members began eating: Seokmin was feeding is alpha his food. It was sickening to watch sometimes, but simultaneously very cute.

“Uh, Jihoon, right?”

The boy looked up – those very sons of the Samsil group were coming close, alpha first as was usual, up from behind Seungkwan. “Sorry, have you seen Joshua? We-”

Seungkwan turned his whole body backwards, elbow making contact with Seungcheol’s stomach lightly. Both of them froze, immobile.

And then it began.

“Oh _God,_ ” Seokmin whined, pressing his face into Jooheon’s neck. The alpha didn’t mind, similarly ducking his face into his omega’s hair. “Seungkwan!”

Seungkwan’s scent began to fly through the room: it was a sweet, pear-like scent that he exuded over and over and over – it flew off the boy’s skin in waves as beads of sweat began to form on his skin. And then the smell of green tea – woodsy, earthy – began to blow of _Seungcheol_. Within seconds his hair was beginning to drench in sweat.

“ _Oh_ ,” Seungkwan sighed in shock.

“Oh,” Seungcheol answered.

Jihoon winced, hand over his mouth. The stench was unbelievable. With his free hand he pointed to the queue over the food. Everybody within smelling distance of the two boys had stopped to stare at them, including Joshua and Jeonghan.

“Uh – I’m – sorry!” Seungkwan moved, grabbed his bag and _bolted_ , running out of the room so quickly he almost blurred out of sight.

Jihoon winced more, the smell of the alpha and omega burning in his nose. The two of them were reeking pheromones, bodies begging for each other. It was really gross. Worse than when Seokmin stayed over at Jooheon’s dorm for a night.

“Did I… just… get… rejected?”

“No, this is the part where you go after him, _stupid,_ ” the boy’s little brother answered obnoxiously.

It took Seungcheol a moment to move, retracing the lines that Seungkwan had made, following the reeking scent of the boy: by the time he was gone, Mingyu had moved away to speak to Joshua.

“Well,” Seokmin mumbled, still deep in his alpha’s scent. “That was a thing that happened.”

“It will start happening more often,” Jooheon smiled, hugging his _dearest Seokminnie_. “With the new influx of alphas. I’ll have to be more careful to protect you from now on.”

“Nobody’s going to touch a claimed omega,” Seokmin protested.

“Oh I don’t know. A claim isn’t the same as a marking.”

“Don’t start about that again.”

“I won’t, I won’t. I don’t want you mad with me.”

“Guys,” Jihoon almost begged. “Please.”

Joshua and Jeonghan returned then – without Mingyu – and sat down.

“Did they really just imprint?” Jeonghan asked.

“Yeah,” Jooheon answered. “Stank the place up, didn’t you smell it?”

“Amazing.”

It took them a while but during lunch Jeonghan managed to pull Joshua out of his shell a little: the boy was awkward but quite funny, making Seokmin and Jeonghan laugh with way too much mirth. He was, so far, an unbonded beta – meaning he had no alpha to covet and keep safe.

Suddenly, in the midst of conversation, Jihoon shoved his mobile phone in Jeonghan’s face.

“Please come help me,” Jeonghan read out loud. “Ah, something must have gone wrong between them. Go on, Hoonie. I’ll tell the teacher you’ll be late.”

Without another word Jihoon picked up his bag and left – hurtling down the hallways to locate his friend.

There were stark differences between the boys – their views on getting up early in the morning, how loud they were, how many friends they had – but they were very close friends despite it all.

Seungkwan was curled up under his bed, shaking, perspiring. His face was flushed and feverish, lying in a puddle of his own sweat. The stench of it was unbelievable – but Seungkwan’s smell was easier to bear than an alpha’s.

“H-help me,” he whispered.

Jihoon was a surprisingly strong boy: he hauled Seungkwan out from under his bed and pulled him into the bathroom, allowing him to curl up in one end of the bathtub while he switched on the shower.

“C-cold!” Seungkwan wailed when the water touched his feet.

“Baby.” Jihoon adjusted the temperature to be hotter and began to douse his best friend: slowly the boy had to strip off his shirt, allowing the water to rinse him down. He kept sweating over and over, reeking: his body crying out for an alpha to touch him again.

Eventually Jihoon filled up the bath so Seungkwan could lie in it for a while, and raised an eyebrow. It was a silent question.

“H-he… I-I mean… I’m not… I don’t want him!” Seungkwan wiped his face with cooled water, and Jihoon tried not to grimace at the smell. “He’s stupid!”

“Seungkwan…”

A loud rapping noise made both of them perk up: if at all possible, Seungkwan began to reek even more.

“Please, let me in! Please.”

Jihoon turned to Seungkwan: the younger boy gripped his friend by the collar, soaking him. “No, please. Don’t.”

The silent look said more than enough.

“Jihoon, please. If you value me. I don’t want him to be my alpha.”

Jihoon slowly took Seungkwan’s hands off him. “We both know what happens to omegas who remain unclaimed after they imprint.”

Seungkwan froze.

“You didn’t forget, really?”

Seungkwan stared at nothing in shock. It had been an hour already since he imprinted.

Jihoon moved to the door where Seungcheol was still madly banging on the dorm door. He opened it suddenly, pressing a finger to the notice on the door.

“Yeah yeah, rule number one, alphas aren’t allowed into the omega dorms at any times, blablabla.”

_I can see why he doesn’t want you to be his alpha,_ Jihoon mused.

Seungcheol barged into the dorm, easily making his way into the bathroom: Jihoon followed, a little curious, trying not to breathe. The scent of an imprinted alpha who hadn’t laid a claim yet was too much to really bear.

Seungcheol leaned over Seungkwan – who had gripped a towel to cover his chest – and put a hand on his hair. “Just let me claim you. Please.”

“What the fuck?” Seungkwan wailed unhappily. “That’s not how you ask, idiot!”

“Please. Just so that we can sort this mess out. Please?”

Jihoon gave his friend a look. It wasn’t like Seungkwan had a choice.

It didn’t take long for Jihoon to leave, and quickly, too – his air was up and the stench was starting to give him a splitting headache. In the end he was only ten minutes late to class – an hour later, Seungcheol walked in – he’d obviously showered and gotten some new clothes. The smell wasn’t so bad, either, not by a mile.

Jihoon gave him a silent look.

“It’s done,” Seungcheol told him lowly. “I put him in bed. He’s resting.”

 

* * *

 

 

Seungkwan wasn’t asleep by the time class was over, but he was in bed, and exhausted to boot: he smiled when the boys lugged Joshua’s suitcases in.

“Oh hey, let me help.” He slowly moved one of his legs.

Seokmin practically sat on his younger friend. “You stay there and rest,” he commanded. “We’ve got it.”

“Thanks,” the boy smiled.

Jeonghan was pretty much stuck to Joshua’s side: helping him hang up his clothes in the wardrobe, explaining Why The Shower Makes That Noise – all the technicalities.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh, well…” It was the first time Jeonghan felt bashful around this handsome beta. “Um, we take turns in rotation to wake Jihoon up in the morning. Let’s just say… we’re really sorry you have to do it too. Uh… I’m first tomorrow and then it’ll be Seokmin’s turn, uh… After Seokmin you can have a go at it.”

“…that bad?”

“…sorry.”

Joshua looked down at the boy in his bunk bed. He was small – very small – and thin with a very pretty face. His skin was smooth and pale and he had wide, sweet eyes. He was very still – spoke as little as possible as softly as possible, and blended as much into the background as he could.

It was kind of difficult to imagine him – a boy who looked more like a fluffy rabbit than a boy – with the early-morning grumps.

“The good news is you get the single bed so you’re not in a bunk?”

“Cool,” was the smiling answer.

Jeonghan and Seokmin took Joshua out for a tour around campus: Jihoon leaned over his bunk to Seungkwan’s with the question all over his face.

“He claimed me.” Seungkwan went pink at the very idea, quickly pulling up his sheets to cover his face. “It was kind of… nice. But! That doesn’t mean I like him!”

“You’ve got time for that.”

“Why are you like this?!” the boy almost screamed, hiding under the covers again for a minute. “It’s not like that, anyway.”

Jihoon shrugged and turned back to his book.

“I _do_ say so!” Seungkwan cried, agitated, answering the comment that hadn’t been said.

Jihoon was the only member of dorm 105B who showered in the evening – to save time when he couldn’t wake up in the morning regardless. When the shower was switched on and made the awful whirring noise that he’d been warned about, Joshua bit his lip, anxious with the question.

“Uh, Jeonghan? Can I ask something a little… uh, personal and awkward?”

“Sure, what’s up?” Jeonghan put his geography book down.

“Uh…” The younger boy pointed to the bathroom, lowering his voice even more. “Jihoon. What’s uh… what’s his story?”

Both Seungkwan and Seokmin glanced up to listen in.

“Ah… that.” Jeonghan cleared his throat, looking back to his book, trying to be casual about it. “He hasn’t started yet.”

Joshua froze. “What do you mean, _hasn’t started yet?_ He’s seventeen!”

“Listen, we don’t talk about it too much,” Jeonghan muttered. “He’s very touchy about it. He doesn’t like it either. We’re all just guessing he’s a… a late bloomer.”

“Ten years old is a late bloomer!” Joshua whispered back. “Seventeen is a human!”

“SHHHHH!” all three boys answered.

“You can’t… say that… to _him_ ,” Jeonghan hissed. “Besides, his whole family were ABOs.”

“Were?”

“They’re all dead. He’s got nobody. Just us.”

Seokmin and Seungkwan looked at each other – an exchange Joshua did not miss.

“How’d he get here?”

“Nobody knows. Or at least, Principle Kim won’t tell anybody. Rumour has it that he was left in front of Principle Kim’s front door in a basket when he was six months old, and that he almost died of the cold then, so he’s been an omega ever since. But it’s just a rumour. We don’t know. We don’t talk about it.”

“So for all intents and purposes, he’s…?”

“…not really interested in hearing you gossip about his life story rumours,” Jihoon announced, surfacing from the bathroom. Nobody had noticed the shower switch off. “Unless you’re going to tell the story about how I was raised by twelve hippos in the wilderness of India because that one always cracks me up.” The sarcasm was deafening. “It’s ten minutes to lights out and I do want to do some prep work.”

An awkward silence reigned as the boy slid into his bed.

“Sorry, hyung,” Seungkwan mumbled from across the room.

“Yeah, sorry,” the other three chorused.

“Whatever. If anybody still needs to brush their teeth before lights out, now’s the time to do it.”

Nine minutes after that, the lights were switched off in the dorms.


	3. The Smell of the Alpha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren is obsessed with having Jihoon as an omega. Jihoon's body obviously has other plans.

The sight of them was something to marvel at. The one in front was so pretty he even put Jeonghan to shame: his face was rounder, more like a woman’s. His lips were pink and full and pouty, and he had long black hair that flowed down far below his shoulders.

The two that flanked him were handsome enough – one had striking eyebrows, the other a thick neck and biceps that could choke a man – and the men after that were handsome too, tall and loyal.

But it was the one at the front who had eyes full of intent and starlight.

“So, you’re the mysterious omega everybody speaks of.”

“Ren!” Joshua stood up instantly, backing off slightly even though his tone was tight. “Listen, don’t do this. Please.”

Ren walked around the table when he was ignored, gripping Jihoon’s chin and pulling it up to force the boy to look at him. “Oh? You’re cute. God, look at you.” Ren’s free hand wiped the boy’s long fringe out of his face. “Cute as a button. How haven’t you been fucked senseless with that face?”

“Ren!”

“Leave me alone,” Jihoon muttered.

“Are you kidding?” Ren took a deep breath, smirking. “Wow, you really don’t smell like anything. That’s amazing. I wonder if you’d start if I had you in my be-”

Jihoon stood. “I said leave me alone.”

“Oh… you’re ballsy for an omega.” Ren smirked. “I do like them a little feisty. Go on, there’s no harm in being my omega for a while.”

“Leave him be, Ren.” The new voice didn’t make Ren jump, but he did freeze a moment and turn.

“Oh, Cheol, you were here. I thought you marked the other pretty one.”

“Ren.” The alpha’s current in the words was harsh. “Remember your place.”

“Good grief, Cheol.” He let Jihoon go and put a hand on Seungcheol’s shoulder. “You don’t have to be wound so tight. Let me have my fun.”

“Dorm 105B is none of your concern.” The deadly black look in Cheol’s eyes was clear – this was a dispute of territory. “Nor are any of its inhabitants.”

“Spoilsport.” Ren turned, flicking his shiny hair over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, little bunny rabbit. I’ll come back someday when Cheol here isn’t around.”

The boy called Ren and his followers exited the cafeteria – who knows where to – and Jihoon sat down again, giving Seungcheol a questioning look.

The alpha sat down, dragging a free chair over. “That’s Ren and his pack – Baekho’s a second alpha, but he’s Ren’s cousin. They’re all werewolves. Sorry. They have some… temperamental issues. They won’t bother you guys again.”

Everybody at the table turned to Seungkwan: he was pink-faced and very concentrated on his lunch.

Jihoon nodded at Seungcheol. It was as close to a verbal thank-you as the alpha would get today.

Seungcheol glanced at his omega – the omega he had claimed – with so much desperation and pure need that it almost made Jihoon feel sorry for him.

Cheol patted Jihoon on the back once and turned back to his own table.

It took everybody at the table a moment to adjust – when they did, it was Jooheon to speak first. “You have issues, mate.”

“Shut up,” Seungkwan muttered, turning a few shades darker. “Eat your lettuce.”

“You okay?” Seokmin asked in a low voice.

Jihoon simply nodded.

 

* * *

 

 

It was no surprise to anybody that the new students were doing better in their studies than the rest: they had had advanced classes, so their skills were far more honed than others. They were very methodical during chemistry and _way_ too know-it-all in ABO history. Throughout the course of a few weeks they really settled in – all the students did – into the curriculum and the people.  

After the first incident with Ren and his pack, Jihoon didn’t show up to lunch so much. Oh, he showed up to dinner and breakfast – famished, poor boy – but rarely to lunch.

When Joshua asked where the boy went, nobody really knew. It added to the mystery that was the non-omega boy Jihoon.

At dinner time even the teachers sat in the same cafeteria as the students: everybody ate together, and the food was always excellent. Good food – or so the theory said – was a great way to keep pheromones down, and the school was in dire need of that. New imprinted couples had been popping up everywhere – at least six or seven since the start of the school year. The fact that Seungkwan and Seungcheol still weren’t really on speaking terms with each other was a mere detail.

It happened at the end of March – just two months after the beginning of the school year, when Joshua was a committed best friend and had learned not to ask too many questions.

It wasn’t as if Jihoon hadn’t felt it coming. With the massive influx of alphas, it was inescapable: it was actually a miracle he’d kept it together this long. Every time he looked at one of the new students in class he could feel a tingling rush over his skin. With every day he’d become more and more silent as his body kept doing strange things, as if he were no longer in possession over it: he’d break out into cold sweats, or get sick and feverish for about fifty seconds. Ren’s constant attentions began to grate on him as well – every time the pretty boy so much as moved in Jihoon’s direction the boy had nearly had a heart attack.

His only sane moments were those lunch days he slipped into the conservatorium.

The old conservatorium wasn’t used anymore – there weren’t enough students interested in music and drama to keep it operative as a part of the curriculum. But Jihoon knew it far too well – knew how to tune the piano forte, how to sit and make music to himself. Notes galloped through the empty hall, braiding themselves in intricate patterns that his lean fingers dictated over the ivory.

It was a place he came to think, to play, to sing – to get away from the eyes watching him. He felt peaceful there on the stage, alone, singing to himself. He’d begun to write sheet music years ago when he was seven years old – by now he had a few boxes stored away here in the conservatorium, filled with his own works.

Poking his pasta, he kind of wished he was there now.

Jooheon was muttering over a cut on Seokmin’s hand (put there by the boy’s inability to work a pair of scissors around a sign) and Seungkwan and Seungcheol were making it very obvious that they weren’t even looking at each other. Jeonghan and Joshua were like animals in the ark, glued to each other, enjoying each other’s friendly presence. Jeonghan was exuding a little – obviously he’d had some alpha fill his _need_ earlier today. The boy had not imprinted yet, and his sex drive was a little over the top, so sometimes… that happened.

Jihoon’s body made a little move from the stomach up.

“Oh, shit.”

It was the first word he’d actually spoken in four days – a new record for him – causing his table to freeze and look at him.

“Oh, _shit shit shit._ ”

“Jihoon?!”

Before anybody could move he got up, bolting: he ran for the closest trash can. They were dotted all around the hall: luckily a quick sprint did the job. Throwing his head over the edge of it, he spilled his stomach out into it.

Then it was over, and a different discomfort emerged: Jihoon slid down onto his knees, one hand to the floor, the other to his brain. The most splitting of headaches seared through him like waves – once, twice, again and again. He let a scream rip, silencing any sound in the cafeteria – the pain was excruciating beyond his capacities. It was as if parts of his brain were exploding.

And then it happened.

The wave could be _seen_ flowing through the cafeteria: it emanated from the boy’s huddled form and rolled over the students like a mist bank.

The smell was so forceful, so _painfully strong_ that most of the omega’s either turned to their alphas or fainted on the spot: Seungkwan managed to stay upright but gripped his table, shaking as his eyes automatically searched for Seungcheol. It was a scent so strong it made some gag: a smell had never been so pervasive in the New School before. It was so deep a scent that it actually forced everybody else into a wave – alphas, betas and omegas al began to exude waves of hormones, some more than others.

The scent of pine wood and acid flooded the cafeteria as droplets of sweat came up all over Jihoon’s skin, the pain incessantly bearing down on his skull. A darkness seemed to appear – whether it came from the boy’s head and shot upward or whether it had formed above him nobody could tell, but it was there: a column of black smoke above him that grew darker and darker by the minute, a swirling column that reflected his pain.

Principle Kim was the first to move: he grappled between chairs and tables, cutting off his gag reflex more with every step until he picked the small boy up in his arms and took him away. The angry column dissipated.

But the smell of an alpha hung in the air for a long time after he’d left.


	4. Beta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jihoon's powers are a thing and everybody is uncomfortable with a PuffBall™ becoming the new hot wild thang on campus.

Principle Kim took Jihoon to his own quarters, laying him in the bathtub and hosing him down: the smell began to settle a little into the boy’s skin. And then he began to shiver.

After the first thirty hours, the Principle left Jihoon to himself to raise the tannoy, his voice echoing in every hallway of the school and dormitories.

“Ladies and Gentlemen of New School, please listen closely. As you all no doubt found out, one of our students has recently started his hormonal cycle. The young man in question is under my attention until such times as he can attend class once more. Please do not invade his privacy with questions and do not look him up in my quarters until he is released. Thank you.”

The reason this caused more consternation was because when the initial hormonal cycle first began, it should only take a few hours to stop.

For four days Jihoon was trapped in a feverish frenzy in the principle’s bathtub. There were more dark columns, but sometimes they were traded in – for hot spells in the room that turned the iron bathtub knobs red, or blizzards out of his control, or warping the bathtub out of shape. These, of course, were all manifestations of Alpha powers the boy would learn to possess and control in time, but for the principle, it was a bit much to deal with.

On the fifth day when the principle returned from re-stocking his own mini-fridge (and ignoring all the questioning teachers and students he met on the way), Jihoon was asleep, his head on the curve of the tub.

There were no abnormalities in the room – nothing was warped or hot or cold, and the boy’s fever seemed to have broken, too.

“Ah, Hoonie,” the principle smiled, sitting down.

“Dad?” The boy turned, opening his eyelids a little.

“Hey there sport,” the principle grinned, patting a wet cloth to the boy’s neck. “How you doing?”

“Thirsty.”

He was handed a bottle of water, which was empty in a matter of seconds.

“Kind of hungry, too.”

“I got some sausages?”

Jihoon’s soft smile was a little weak. “Yes please.”

He waited until the boy was eating. “Gave us all quite a scare, starting in the middle of dinner. And boy, did you _smell_. Neither of your parents smelled like that. Not ever.”

“Sorry,” the boy mumbled. “Can’t help it.”

“I suppose not. Feeling better, though, I take it?”

He nodded. “Much.”

“Good. You were out for a very long time.”

“How much is a long time?”

The principle handed him a bowl of cold pasta salad that the boy dug into very happily. “Well, given that you started on Thursday evening… it’s kind of Tuesday right now.”

“That’s not normal,” he commented.

“No. I’d say you’re going to change things around here. Don’t go starting any fights.”

“Would I ever?”

“If you take after your dad you would.”

“Don’t be like this,” the boy whined.

The principle mussed his hair. “How about I go get you a change of clothes and after lunch you can move into your new dorm, hm?”

Jihoon winced.

Alphas and omegas were strictly split into different dorms. There was no way an alpha would ever be allowed to reside in an omega-dominated space.

It meant he could no longer stay with his friends.

Principle Kim sighed and covered his face. “Listen, it’s not… I mean… I know how hard it is for you to make friends. But now it shouldn’t be so difficult, right?”

Lee Jihoon almost cried.

Another deep sigh. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. You’re _so_ lucky I owed your parents my life, you know that? Fine. I’ll ask them if you can stay. Jooheon and Seungcheol too, though. If either of them has any qualms you’re in another dorm, end of discussion.”

Jihoon threw his arms around the principle. “Thank you.”

“It’s not a done deal yet, kid. Now, I’ll go get your things and visit all your dormmates. You stay here and uh, eat. Get your strength back.”

“Thanks, uncle.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

* * *

 

 

It didn’t matter what Principle Kim said – everybody insisted Jihoon come back to the dormitory where he belonged, 105B, and that was final. Even Jooheon and Seungcheol agreed. Jihoon’s place was with his friends and nowhere else.

So when the boy had had a final shower and was dressed in casual clothing – jeans and a hoodie, the first things the principle could find – he was allowed to go back to his dorm.

“Don’t go back to class this week,” Principle Kim told him. “Just take it easy, get back on your feet.”

“I’m fine,” Jihoon muttered. Starting and becoming an alpha hadn’t changed much inside of him – he was still Jihoon, silent and brooding and refusing to believe he was cute. Also grumpy and stubborn. “Anyway… thanks.”

“Rest easy kid.”

The smells were a little stronger, now that he was an alpha: the scents of omegas were strong on their beds. Joshua’s scent was a little different – it smelled a bit like chocolate but darker and homier than that. The scent of a beta had changed completely.

Jihoon just rolled into his own cot and grabbed a book. Oh man. The amount of homework he’d have to catch up on.

There were running steps a few minutes after class ended: the door opened and they all charged in.

“Jihoon!”

Seungkwan was the first to rush over and throw his arms around Jihoon, immediately regretting the decision, wrinkling his nose. “Aw man, you stink, hyung!”

Jihoon smiled as the other omegas welcomed him back with open arms: when Joshua came nearer, both of them stiffened.

“What is-”

“I think you’re my beta,” Jihoon burst.

An immeasurable moment of awkward silence passed as the small boy went pink. A declaration like that without proof was very rude, but the static in the air between the two boys grew. Slowly, Joshua pushed out his hand and poked Jihoon’s cheek.

The bond between an alpha and a beta isn’t like that of an omega – not as absolute, for one, nor intimate in the same way.

A beta’s most important duty and task is to keep the alpha safe from harm. It’s what a beta’s body is made to protect. In order to protect this, at the first moment of binding, the beta is given a peek into the alpha’s mind – their entire life’s history, and history of the world as it pertains to that alpha, is coded into their consciousness. Jihoon’s entire life was laid bare to Joshua in a split second.

“Oh my God,” the elder breathed, staring at Jihoon in awe.

“Don’t say anything,” Jihoon muttered, gripping his collar. “Don’t even move.”

Joshua gulped, staring with wide eyes. “I… I don’t… know… if I can do this…” And then he began to exude.

“Jooooosh,” Jeonghan complained, opening a window. “God, right here right now?”

Jihoon held Joshua’s eyes for an immeasurable moment.

“Please.”

“Yes sir, whatever you say.”

“Don’t start calling me sir.”

“Yes si- uhhhhh…”

“…anything we should know about?”

“Jooheon!” After being out for so many days it actually felt good to see the alpha – or the _other_ alpha, as he’d now be called. Jihoon stood to give the other a hearty hug, but the alpha wasn’t having much of it.

“Uh…” Jooheon clapped the boy’s back once. “Alpha…”

“Shit, sorry,” Jihoon mumbled, stumbling back again before he could make the alpha territorial.

Jooheon simply grasped Seokmin’s hand.

“This is… weird,” Seokmin mumbled a little. He turned to Jeonghan. “You won’t… will you?”

“Ew, no!” Jeonghan whined. “No offence, Jihoon, but you’re not my type of alpha.”

Jihoon shrugged at that.

“All the omegas are in a tizzy over you,” Seungkwan grinned. “You’re _the bachelor to beat_ on campus.”

The boy pulled a face showing exactly what he thought about that. It was probably the funniest thing the boy had done all school year.


	5. In Which Woozi is 5th Base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freshman Hansol is introduced, uncovering the great secret that only Jihoon and Joshua know about.

The evening meal was the best thing Jihoon had ever had to experience. The moment he made an appearance in the cafeteria, everybody _turned away from him_.

Usually they would stare – being the freak omega who hadn’t started yet was a heavy burden to have to carry – and watch him, and maybe even poke fun. But now he was an alpha. A particularly exuberant alpha at that. A cute, short, bunny-like alpha. And in general, alphas were not cute and short.

The moment dorm 105B was seated Ren was there.

“God, you smell delicious,” he cooed, sitting beside the boy. “Edible. Who knew something as cute as you would turn out to be an alpha?”

“I’m not cute.” The warning in Jihoon’s eye was blatantly obvious.

Ren leaned in, inhaling the deep alpha scent. “The things I’d do to-”

A hand barred the long-haired man from moving another inch closer. “Watch yourself there.”

Ren straightened up a little and then smirked. “Oh, you’ve beta’d already. You have a pretty beta, too. You’re cute together. The three of us could-”

“Watch who you’re talking to,” Joshua snapped, now moving entirely in front of Jihoon. “You’d be wise to watch how you speak.”

“Joshua,” Jihoon mumbled calmly.

“Why, who is he? Such a great person that I can’t even talk to?”

“He’s my alpha.” Jihoon breathed a sigh of relief. “Touch him and I’ll end your pathetic life.”

“...wow. That was kind of sad.”

“Go away, Ren.”

“Aw, c’mon, cutie. I’m willing to bet you and I could knock a few walls dow-”

Jihoon turned with death in his eyes, silencing the alpha. “Ren. Shut up.”

Ren went a little pink in the face. Then Joshua _smelled_ him. Before the beta could speak the entire pack of werewolves headed for the door, their alpha in the lead. Joshua flopped down, a little tired. “He really likes you, you know.”

“Hm.”

“Maybe you should make out with him just to get him off your case.” Seokmin saw the look on the alpha’s face. “Or not.”

 

* * *

 

 

Joshua groaned a little when he and Jeonghan walked Jihoon to the changing rooms for gym. “I hate PE,” he groaned. “Everybody sweats so much. All the smells make me so tense and hyper. It makes me go crazy.”

Jihoon sniffed a little apologetically. The alpha and beta looked at each other and sighed.

Jihoon hated PE – for more reasons than one. First there was the smell of all the sweating omegas and alphas, then there was the fact that his little legs could only go so far. Being a short person was bad – a short alpha was worse.

“You really are kind of cute,” Joshua mumbled, staring down at Jihoon in his shorts and t-shirt. “I want to cuddle you.”

“Touch me and die.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

They started out with a warm-up run and then football – mercifully, it was football, and not basketball like last year. Jihoon sat down a lot last year.

Now however, Jihoon was placed in the goal, the rest of his team out in the field: it wasn’t at all a bad spot for him, since it didn’t really require him to move. It saved the team a lot of nervous sweaty outbreaks from alpha fever.

“Look out!”

Jihoon had barely turned around to look at the other playing field when everything went black.

 

* * *

 

 

Joshua smelled really nice. It was that deep, homesy smell that resembled bitter chocolate and wood polish. It gave Jihoon peace and comfort of mind – so much so that his little fingers reached out to grab on to Joshua’s shirt, rolling over to pull him in.

“…hey. You awake?”

Jihoon nodded a little, frowning but not opening his eyes yet. He moved a hand to his head.

“One of the freshmen hit his baseball out of the court. You ended up being fifth base.”

If you think it’s impossible for the hand gesture that means _okay_ to look sarcastic, you’re wrong.

“You’re in the nurse’s office,” Joshua mumbled. “She gave you the all-clear until you feel ready to move around again.”

Slowly, the alpha opened his eyes: the room was blurry at first, but soon came into dazzlingly bright focus. Joshua’s expression was already relieved at the sight of his alpha’s eyes.

“Hey there,” he said softly.

“Hi.”

“How’re you feeling?”

Jihoon’s eyes rolled upwards to think about it before nodding a little.

“Okay.” Joshua’s protective hands moved to cup his alpha’s head gently as he helped him sit up. Neither boy would admit it, but it gave them both much comfort.

Joshua’s body was wired to take care of Jihoon’s. Jihoon’s body was a small though strong thing, and after taking a knock to the head, it was nice to be pampered like this. Normally he wouldn’t have allowed anybody to touch him, let alone pamper, but this was his beta.

Their bodies were meant to work in conjunction like this. Jihoon didn’t have to be an abrasive, moody alpha around Joshua – and Joshua didn’t have to apologize for being so soft.

Jihoon would _never_ have admitted it, but having a beta to his name made him feel _happy_.

“Here, take some water. I got snacks, too.”

Jihoon drank silently, then smiled a little.

It was probably the first time the boy had actually smiled – just a happy, content smile – the whole year. Joshua froze for a moment and broke out into a grin that reached from one side of his face to the other. He then opened a bag of shrimp-flavoured crisps and held it out. “Eat, too.”

Jihoon grinned more then – an easy grin – and began to much, taking the packet.

“Listen… while we’re here alone, I’ve got to ask.”

Jihoon paused a moment, the smile fading.

“What happens now? I mean… Jihoon, you share classes with your mortal enemies.”

Jihoon raised a thin eyebrow.

“You were born to be in the place the Samsil group is right now,” Joshua implored, his voice little more than a faint whisper. “Are you really just going to lie down and live your life as if you’re nobody?”

Jihoon snapped another crisp between his teeth, crunching down as he mulled over the question before shrugging. “Don’t know yet. I just want to survive high school.”

The boys grinned at each other for that.

“Yeah. After that… is it okay if I…?”

Jihoon’s grin curled up the left side of his mouth a little more. “You’re my beta, right?”

“Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, the freshman who uh… _batted you out_ …” Joshua withheld a giggle. “He wants to apologize. Can you walk?”

Jihoon looked at his fingers coated in red powder and his bag of crisps with something that resembled faint distress.

“Okay, I’ll bring him in. Okay?” He left and in five minutes he was back, a tall young man trailing in behind him.

The boy was surprisingly handsome – light brown eyes, long shaggy brown hair, very good bone structure. Another alpha, one with the smell of freshly cut grass and earth tones. He bowed his head instantly.

“I’m so sorry I hit you with the ball!”

Jihoon swung his little legs over the side of the cot he was sitting on.

“I really didn’t mean to! It’ll never happen again!”

“It’s okay,” Jihoon mumbled, drinking some more water. “No harm, no foul.”

“What, really?” The boy looked up in surprise. “It’s really okay?”

The two other boys nodded.

Slowly, the boy’s face began to twist and change: it froze, and then he went a little pale.

“Uh…”

“What’s wrong with him?” Joshua mumbled.

“I’m sorry!” Within seconds the freshman was down on one knee. “I – I had no idea! Who I was speaking to!”

Jihoon and his beta shared a look – of surprise and of hesitance.

“What… do you… mean?” Joshua asked slowly.

“His Highness Lee Woozi!” the freshman choked out. “My name is Choi Hansol. My father was Choi Heosung. He served your grandfather as a general until your line was lost.”

Jihoon whipped forward, sagging down on his knees to see Hansol better: in turn the younger boy pressed his forehead to the floor.

“Where did you hear. How do you know?!”

“Our family vault has pictures of your line, your Highness. You look very much like your grandfather,” Hansol told the tiles.

“Get up,” Jihoon whined, desperate. If anybody should come in-

“His highness’ life isn’t safe if you tell everybody he’s royalty!” Joshua hissed, pulling the long-haired boy to his feet. “His name is Lee Jihoon, and he’s a _very normal student_ here at New School.”

Hansol’s eyes stayed glued to the floor as he processed that. “Yes, sir.”

Jihoon gripped the boy’s face between his hands. “Look at me.”

An alpha is a strong thing, for sure – but some were stronger than others, and Hansol’s eyes turned up.

“Nobody can know,” Jihoon told him. There was a steadfast, assured look in his eyes: the kind of look that told him this was a rule that could never be broken. “Nobody can even suspect. You cannot bow. You cannot address me. You cannot send letters or texts or phone calls to home about me. You cannot mention your family or your father. You cannot even offer answers during history class.”

The seriousness of the request was beginning to settle – the boy’s eyes became darker as it seeped in what the situation was.

“Yes, your Highness.”

“Jihoon. Come on, try it.”

“J-Ji… Ji-hoon.” Hansol took a deep breath as his face was released. “Jihoon.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Joshua reassured him with a clap on the back.

Jihoon rubbed his forehead, sitting back on the cot with an angry sigh. “Two months of school go by and already two people know…”

“I would never tell a soul,” Hansol swore lowly. He looked around the empty room carefully before going down on one knee. “Your Highness, my life is yours as my father’s was your family’s before the Great Siege.”

Jihoon took a deep breath, looking down at the fifteen-year-old boy. “I have your loyalty and your devotion and your force, should I have need of it?”

“Always, my liege.”

The older boy bit back a smile. “It’s been a while since I was sworn fealty. Thank you… Hansol, isn’t it? Stand up.” His small hand was laid on the boy’s shoulder. “You’re very young to be swearing yourself to a prince without a throne, but I’ll accept your loyalty.”

“Thank you,” Hansol whispered. He dared look his prince in the eye, then smiled a little.

Joshua put a hand on Jihoon’s leg. “I… Should I-”

“You are my beta.” Jihoon’s voice was different – stronger now, cool. It had a tone of command in it. A no-nonsense tone. “Any oath of fealty to me is spitting on the bond we share.”

Joshua smiled a little. It was the first time he’d ever seen him this way. Something about it suited the boy: an alpha he may be, but his body was small and his face was soft and cute. His tone, however - his command and stance - were regal.

“The Great Prince Woozi,” Hansol whispered in awe. “I have so many questions.”

“Not here. Not now.”

Both the younger alpha and the beta bowed their heads once.

“For one, we should all be getting back to class.” Jihoon put a hand on his folded uniform Joshua had brought back from gym. “Hey, Hansol? Sit with us at lunch.”

Hansol flinched, as if his mind had been snapped – away from the Great Prince and the royal troubles and back to dull high school. He grinned and nodded. “Yes hyung!”

Jihoon chuckled. “Now. Let me change in peace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeeeks I hope everybody is still following this story!! Listen. Are you listening? Listen I'm a slut for comments. Even if it's just some keyboard smashing or crying or a big "wtf is going on here". please. comment. it gives me life.


	6. History Class in the Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungcheol finally makes headway with his omega. Jihoon gives his beta and Hansol a history lesson.

“Because you’re annoying.”

“Well you’re a brat.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“Because I want to be, damn it!”

The defiance in Seungkwan’s face only served to frustrate his alpha: the boy was being entirely unreasonable.

Seungcheol put down the box in front of the boy. “You can’t dictate where I sit in the damn library.”

“No, I can’t.” The omega grabbed his things. “But I can dictate where I sit.”

“Seungkwan.” The elder rested his hand on Seungkwan’s, arresting the boy.

The bond between an alpha and his claimed omega is a strong thing: Seungkwan could feel his knees going weak the moment they touched. His heart sped up. He was simply lucky that he wasn’t the kind of boy to exude his own perfume very quickly.

“Please. I just want to know you better.”

This damned alpha could go on for days. That much had been proven.

Seungkwan slowly sat down again. “I don’t like you.”

“I gathered that. I just don’t understand why.” Seungcheol was afraid to lift his hand away in case the boy bolted.

“I don’t want an alpha,” Seungkwan muttered, feeling his heart stutter in his chest. Yeah, that was true – up until the moment he’d gotten an alpha he didn’t want to be tied to another person. But now his body was dedicated, and slowly, his mind was catching up.

“I wouldn’t hurt you.” Seungcheol’s voice was soft and smooth like butter as he whispered. “I’d never hurt you. I’d never use me being an alpha to corner you or make you do anything. I just… want to know you. To make you happy.”

Okay, that didn’t sound too bad. But alphas couldn’t be trusted like that.

“Listen, Seungkwan… let me take you out this weekend.”

“Out?”

“Your Joshua tells me you don’t leave school on weekends. There’s a new movie we could see.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s a movie. We don’t have to talk or even look at each other.” Seungcheol watched his other half blow his nose. “You know you’re getting sick so much because we’re not together. It’ll help.”

Not having to talk or look at Seungcheol _and_ get rid of the drippy nose? Tempting.

“I’ve already booked tickets. Please?” Seungcheol’s hand moved to entwine his fingers with his omega’s. “I’d… I’d really enjoy it if I could be with you for a few hours.” The boy coloured at his own words. “I think you’re really handsome, Seungkwan.”

Something inside Seungkwan’s chest broke a little. He nodded once. “Okay.”

“Really?”

He nodded, and then pointed at the box. “What’s this?”

“I made you a snack.”

“What is it?”

“Just a few sandwiches.”

The moment Seungkwan opened the box, Seungcheol regretted the heart-shaped cookie cutter he’d thought would be a good idea.

 

* * *

 

 

In the weekends, many students went home: those whose families lived further away stuck around in the dorms and went into town for fun and games. It was safe to say nobody would look up to find a few beds empty here and there.

Jihoon gently settled the heavy old book on the floor, blowing dust off it. “Here it is,” he whispered, fingers trailing the corners. “The Great Events.”

Hansol’s heart was beating so loudly he was afraid somebody would hear it. “The book that’s been missing for years,” he whispered. “How…”

“It was one of the few things my parents were able to take with them,” the boy whispered. “Seems like an age ago.” Then he flipped the book open, switching off his torch.

The Great Events was the greatest history book of all time – for one, because it wrote itself, and secondly, it lit up. The first page shone a hologram into the air above it of the globe, pulsing yellow.

Jihoon flipped over a few pages until he found the correct one: small yellow figures stood under a podium with a blue figure on it.

“Many eons ago, alphas, betas and omegas did not live in peace as they do now.” His voice was soft but hypnotic, the words flawlessly rehearsed. “They brawled and sprawled and fought – alphas and omegas died by the thousands each year. Betas were left desolate to roam the human lands alone. Hormonal rage was a murderer of the worst kind.

“Nobody knows where he first came from. The alpha so strong that all alphas couldn’t help but listen to his voice: in turn, their betas and omegas, too. He saved many lives in the first village he came across, and they named him lord. Slowly but surely his political prowess, power as an alpha, and goodwill to make the world a better place for our kind overthrew other lords. Until the day he was crowned King Hanseung, leader of alphas, betas and omegas.” Jihoon flipped the page, allowing the scene to change into the coronation of a benign leader.

Joshua and Hansol sat there speechless, gasping at the lightshow they were presented with.

But Jihoon had little time to spare for their amazement: he slid his arm under some pages and flipped them over. “But those peaceful times were not to last.”

The scene became dark: shadows scattered through streets and widows wailed silently in the show of the history book.

“When an alpha can make other alphas listen to him, that is when corruption finds its way into men’s hearts,” Jihoon continued, watching the fear in the streets. “The kings became less and less concerned with their subjects and more concerned with ruling. Receiving. Conquering. It was a dark time.”

Another few pages were flipped.

“Lee Shimeun was the 617th king of Hanseung’s line. His mother died in birth to him – he was a faulty child even from birth. His eyes would not open, and he was already baring teeth from his gums. His was misshapen from the moment he breathed air. He should not have ascended the throne.” Jihoon’s hands became angry little fists at his sides. “He should never have been allowed to rule. As a child he showed inordinate cruelty with little sorrow, mercy or generosity to be spoken of. He was not fit to be king. He was _wrong_. Everybody knew it.

“But when his father’s new omega was found unable to bear children and his father died, the nation had no choice. Lee Shimeun ascended the throne when he was seven, and held it until he was seventy-five.” The book was shut all of a sudden, forcing Joshua and Hansol to look at their lecturer.

Jihoon’s eyes were held firmly on the history book. “The greatest atrocities of our time happened while Lee Shimeun was on the throne. Unspeakable things happened then. Nobody could have been sure of their lives – alphas, betas, omegas, humans. They were all ants under that King’s boot and he took extraordinary pleasure in stamping on them. I opened those pages once, four years ago. I won’t put you two through the sickening pain of watching it.” Jihoon looked up at them. “Understand?”

Both of them nodded.

When Jihoon re-opened his history book of lightshows, it showed them the royal palace as it had once been – in its full glory. In the dead of night it was scaled by shadows.

“Fifty-seven years ago, the rebels called for Shimeun’s head. He would not give up the throne. The rebels grew in number until that moment, thirty years ago, they scaled the palace walls and took it by force. The insides of the palace were a bloody battle, and by the next morning, the King’s head was atop a spike at the palace gates. This was come to be known as the Great Siege.

“The King’s only son and his wife were allowed to remain living. They were to rule with the help of a parliament – a republican monarchy, it was called. By then Kim Samsil, leader of the rebellion, was already making up his own parliament. But the Great Prince Hyunseung… he would not accept.” Jihoon turned a page. “Nobody knows why.”

“Some time later, Princess Omega Jungah gave birth to a little boy. Usually, such a thing would be met with joy and parades – now it only served to scare people. The grandson of Shimeun was born. His life served to strength Prince Hyunseung’s position against the Parliament.

“And then one day they found the plans the prince had to kill the rebels and take back his kingdom.”

A long silence followed as Hansol and Joshua held their breaths. They had heard it all before, of course: it was ABO history 101. But to hear it from Jihoon’s mouth was something eerie indeed.

“In the dark of night, the Prince, his wife and their child fled the palace. Their four youngest children had already been slaughtered in their cots – two princesses and a newborn baby prince who was so newborn he didn’t even have a name yet. They could only save the crown prince, the Great Prince, so they scooped him up and left. Their plan was to hit the grand forest, and keep running to China: from there they would take a ship to New Zealand and work on what they wanted from there, where it was safe for them. But they were run down. In the dark of the forest they were slaughtered, and the line of Hanseung ended. Or so everybody thought, for the first year or so. When people demanded to see their bones – put on display like puppets – they soon found out that the child was missing.

“I remember that night.”

Cold shivers went down spines.

Jihoon’s eyes grew wet, but he never cried. “My mother held me strapped to her chest. She had a huge bag on her back. Dad had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. He was crying – sobbing, even. But Mom? She was so strong. She refused to let me see her cry. She kissed my forehead and told me how special I was. How she would do anything for me.

“I didn’t want to leave them. I cried and begged for mom to stay with me. But I was already five years old. I knew I was a prince. In the middle of the forest my father’s oldest friend took me away from my parents. They kissed me, and then him, and then me again, and told me to be a good boy and listen to Uncle Kim well. And then one day, that they would come back for me. And before I knew it, Uncle Kim was running. But he wasn’t running fast enough.

“I heard how my parents screamed, tortured by fire and blade in the forest before they were killed.”

Joshua’s hand reached out to hold his alpha, but he stopped mid-air. He couldn’t bring himself to try and comfort him from something so comfortless.

Another page was turned: it was white halls and men in suits.

“The parliament was dissolved. Alphas, betas and omegas were to live amongst humans under their laws. After all, King Hanseung’s law was so ingrained into everybody that they would never revert to the monstrous beginnings they had. Kim Samsil had been wounded in the fight he fought with my parents in the forest, but his son took up after him: Samsil himself is just a figure-head, but a weighty one. Now the Samsil Group rules in all but name: they own a police force, technology, land, oil. They are their own bureaucracy and only very few are uncomfortable with it. And still the whereabouts of the child – the Great Prince – remain a mystery. Most people believe he’s dead. But some people…” Jihoon looked up at his companions. “Some of us know better.”

Breathes that had been held for too long were exhaled when he closed the book.

“Any questions?”

“What happens now?” Joshua moved to put his arms around Jihoon for comfort as Hansol’s forehead wrinkled with confusion. “You go to _school_ with the sons of the Samsil. You’re _in class_ with them.”

“Right now, I just want to finish high school.”

“You don’t want your kingdom back?”

Jihoon shrugged. “I’ve never thought about it much. I figure, after what my grandfather did… I don’t deserve it.”

“What about the Samsil?”

Nobody who knew him could have expected the flame in his eyes: the raging fire of anger and wrath that burned inside the boy’s seemingly harmless body. “I want them _dead_ ,” he hissed. “Until every drop of their blood is spilled on the floor beneath my feet. They murdered my brother, my sisters, and my parents. They left me _alone_ without anything to my name but the clothes on my back when I was five. I don’t care how, or when, but before I leave this world, I will see them begging for mercy at my hands, and I will see them _dead_.”

After a moment of silence, the boy slumped a little. “It’s late. We should try to get back and sleep.”

The history book that had been smuggled from the palace eleven years ago was wrapped up again and placed in the secret vault under the school’s library floorboards. Hansol was walked to his dorm first.

“Sleep tight, Hansol,” Jihoon mumbled. “Don’t have nightmares.”

The boy nodded. He wouldn’t have nightmares that night – mainly because he wouldn’t sleep. The hundreds of fearful nightmares he was to have in the nights to come he would never tell his Prince.

Outside dorm 105B, Joshua gripped Jihoon’s hand. “Please. Let me sleep in your bed tonight.”

“Did the story make you fear for my life?”

Joshua nodded.

“The Samsil group thinks I’m dead. There’s no reason to fear for my life. Nobody is after it.”

Joshua looked down to where his hand was gripping Jihoon’s. “I… can’t… let go… right now.”

Together they slipped back into an empty dorm. Seungkwan was out with friends in town, Seokmin was with Jooheon, and Jeonghan was probably shacking up a beta somewhere. They changed and slipped into bed: Joshua curled his arms protectively around Great Prince Woozi.

“Joshua?”

“Yes?”

It took him a moment: then he hugged Joshua back, burying his face in the older boy’s chest. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. Sleep tight, your Highness.”

“Sleep tight.”


	7. Told You So

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungcheol and Seungkwan's date is a thing that happens. Jun and Jeonghan meet.

Seungcheol turned to his omega – partly because he’d been stealing glances all through the movie, partly to gauge what the boy would do now.

Seungkwan turned to his alpha with wide eyes. “I love Deadpool,” he whispered, colour rising in his face. “I fucking love Deadpool.”

Seungcheol chuckled at that, mussing his partner’s hair. “Come on. Let’s get some food. I’m starving and you probably are too.”

“Totally!” Seungkwan whined, following. “That one fight scene though? With the bullets? Oh man that was so good!”

They walked to the KFC next door with Seungkwan still talking about the movie – they ordered and ate and then went to a café to get something sweet, and Seungkwan was still talking about it when they were all done with their pastries.

Seungcheol had long melted away: he sat across from Seungkwan, head in his hands, smiling happily at his overexcited omega. Eventually, Seungkwan noticed.

His face instantly turned from an excited, twinkly-eyed boy to a reserved, pouty one. “What are you looking at me like that for?”

“You’re very cute when you get excited.” Seungcheol slowly blinked and sighed, his smile only growing. “It’s really endearing.”

“I’m so not! It was just a really good movie!”

“You so are!”

“Am not! Asshole!”

“Turd!”

“Scum-sucker!”

“Little shit!”

“Filthy, overbearing-”

Seungkwan never got to finish his insult: his lips were too busy being affronted by Seungcheol’s. The kiss was short and very sweet, combined with Seungcheol taking up his omega’s hands in his. Slowly, the elder sat back down, not letting go of the hands now possessed.

“I like you too.”

Seungkwan flushed a deep pink colour, rubbing his face with his sleeve. “Why would you do something gross like that… who likes you… stupid Seungcheol…”

Seungcheol’s dopey smile returned. “Anyway. You were saying?”

“Shut up,” Seungkwan pouted. “I want to go home.”

“Let’s go then.” Seungcheol took Seungkwan’s hand in his, pulling him along back to the bus stop.

Seungkwan didn’t let go.

It began to rain as they waited for the bus: it bucketed from the heavens in a thick downpour. Within seconds the street had puddles in it.

“Watch out!” Seungcheol gripped his omega, pulling him around: a car raced by, flushing the alpha’s back with water. But he held Seungkwan safe under the cover of the tiniest bus stop in the world, quickly looking up, a thumb stroking his cheek. “Are you okay?”

“You’re soaking!” Seungkwan whined a little. “Why’d you do that for?”

“You’re dry right?” Seungcheol’s hands moved over his omega’s hair, face and shoulders. “I kept you dry right?”

“You’re going to be sick now!” Seungkwan raised his voice angrily. “Who do you think you’re going to help by getting sick?”

“Rather me than you,” the alpha smiled. “It’s okay. I won’t get sick.”

“Your hair is dripping! How will you not get sick?”

“I won’t get sick. Don’t worry.”

 

* * *

 

 

Jun opened the door of their messy dormitory. “Please,” he sighed. “Really, really needed you here.”

“I think I’m sick,” Seungcheol mumbled from the couch.

“Idiot! Lazy ass! Dumb ass!” Seungkwan shouted, dumping his bag by Seungcheol’s bed and leaning over. “I told you you’d get sick!”

Seungcheol looked up. He was a real mess – dark bags under his eyes, feverishly pink face, glassy look in his eyes. His body was shaking and shivering under the sheets. “Ah… did I make you worry, precious? I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“Who are you apologizing to?” Seungkwan continued to scold, sitting on the edge of the bed. “What kind of stupid alpha are you? Going getting sick by yourself?”

“Would you rather be sick together?” Seungcheol muttered as Jun left the dorm.

“It’d be better than leaving you by yourself wouldn’t it?”

Seungcheol pulled up a hand – exhausted as he was – to smooth his thumb over Seungkwan’s cheek. “I can’t let you get sick, precious. That’s something I won’t allow.”

Seungkwan went pink. “Y-ya… s-stupid Seungcheol… saying stupid things because you have a fever!”

The alpha merely chuckled.

“Well, your omega’s here now, so hurry up and get well.”

Seungcheol pulled back his duvet, looking at Seungkwan expectantly.

“What? You don’t-”

“To get better quicker so you don’t yell at sick people so much.”

It took a moment: then, as silent as a mouse and pouty as a child, Seungkwan curled up under the sheets. His alpha put a strong arm around his waist, pulling him in until they were cuddling.

“Thank you, Seungkwan.”

“…why do you not have a shirt on?”

“You’ll share body heat better with me like this.”

“You’re secretly a pervert, aren’t you?”

“Not a secret.” Seungcheol closed his eyes, resting his head on the pillow: Seungkwan was exhaustive to deal with at the best of times but when the alpha was already tired and sickly, it was a lot to take on. “Do you mind if I sleep?”

“Go to sleep already if you’re going to sleep!”

Seungcheol’s arms around his omega never relaxed, not for a moment: while he slept he nuzzled closer and closer until his face was buried in Seungkwan’s neck, smelling the fruity sweet scent there.

Seungkwan let him. Eventually it became more comfortable to hold Seungcheol in return: then slowly he began to brush Seungcheol’s hair from his face. He was a lot more handsome like this – when his mouth was closed so he couldn’t say anything stupid or infuriating.

In fact, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed true that Seungcheol was a very handsome young man. He was tall and muscular, with a handsome face. Good bone structure. Thick eyebrows, thick neck, full soft lips…

Seungkwan shook his head a little. “You’re not that handsome,” he whispered to himself. “And I really don’t… want… to… kiss you…”

Without his permission, his body moved: first his lips only flitted past his alpha’s cheek, and then he got a whiff of the scent that begged for him. A soft kiss was pressed to his cheek, then his chin, up his jawline; kisses rose, each one slow and sacred, over Seungcheol’s temple and forehead and then the end of his eyebrow.

Seungkwan then rested his head down again, smiling very faintly. “You know,” he whispered, “I really like you, too. Just don’t let it go to your head. Sleep tight, hyung.”

When Seungkwan woke up after taking a brief nap with his alpha, said man was gone, his side of the bed still cold. He sat up in an instant, scowling before the sound of water was interrupted. It only took another minute for Seungcheol to come out of the bathroom – wearing little more than his underwear.

“Ya!” Seungkwan squealed, pulling clothes off the end of the bed and throwing them at them. “What are you doing?! Put on clothes!”

There was a chuckle as the younger boy ducked in under the sheets: soon Seungcheol was on his knees beside the bed, his fingers slowly creeping back the sheets. “Sorry I scared you, precious.”

Seungkwan scowled. “Just pants doesn’t count!”

“Why not?” Seungcheol stood and turned to the mirror, flexing thick biceps, hand running down the faint outline of a sixpack – not defined enough for a magazine, but definitely there. “I think I look kind of hot.”

“Ain’t that the problem,” Seungkwan murmured to himself.

“Oh, by the way, I forgot to return this.” Seungcheol was down on his knees again in an instant, obviously feeling better.

“Return what?”

Seungcheol took his love’s head between his hands and gently pressed kisses to the stunned boy’s face. “You gave me those… it’s only natural to return them.”

Seungkwan was blushing like a tomato. “W-w… w…”

“And I promise I won’t let it go to my head. Just as long as you stay by me, I’ll be content. Okay?” Seungcheol pecked Seungkwan’s lips once. “My precious omega, Seungkwan.”

 

* * *

 

 

It was a lie to say that it didn’t hurt whenever they whispered. Jeonghan only pretended not to mind.

It wasn’t like he could help it, either. If he didn’t… _have relations_ … on a regular basis he started to exude. Very badly. Besides that, he didn’t see what was so _wrong_ in it – after all, as long as nobody was hurting anybody, it wasn’t that bad right? It was something he enjoyed.

But when they called him a slut – a good-for-nothing – an omega who would never get an alpha, it hurt. It cut him deeper than he liked to admit.

“Fucking dirty slut.”

The words came only a second before the shove: it was impossible to see in the throng of students who had pushed him but there he was, sprawled in the courtyard fountain.

“Assholes!” a sudden yell came: one of the new alphas ran up, shaking his fist at the group. “What a bunch of worthless dicks to push somebody like that!”

Jeonghan sat in the water like a drowned kitten, shrugging. “I’m used to it.”

“Here, let me help you up, handsome. I’m Jun.”

The moment Jeonghan touched his hand, everything changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm dedicating this chapter to monophobixxx aka Goddess Amber and nobody can stop me!!  
> Don't forget to leave me comments on how things are going because honestly. I thrive. :3


	8. The Most Incompatible Alpha and Omega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeonghan and Jun don't work out. Jihoon finds his omega.

“Oh,” Jeonghan said. He was enveloped by the warm smell of sunlight and cinnamon and wet earth emanating from the young alpha.

“Oh,” Jun repeated. Then he smiled brightly, leaned in, and kissed Jeonghan deeply.

Something made them both gasp: the static between their lips was a shock that made Jun stand up straight again.

“We’d better get you into dry clothes,” Jun said seriously. “Come on.” He pulled Jeonghan out of the fountain with a surprising amount of strength, allowing him to stand on the dry stone courtyard.

“Uh…”

“What dorm are you in?”

“105b.”

“This way then. I’ll wait outside.”

Jun walked Jeonghan all the way to the mouth of the omega dorms, then gripped his hand. “You… you _will_ come back, won’t you?”

Jeonghan’s face – impossibly pretty as it was – stood emotionless. All there was was a wide-eyed, naked shock and surprise. He nodded once, then ran to his dorm, dripping.

 

* * *

 

 

“Anywhere you’d like to sit and talk? It’s not a great day but we can go to town if you’d like.”

“…Café Olé?”

Jun smiled gently, twining his fingers between Jeonghan’s. “Let’s go then.”

Their bus ride was silent, and very, very awkward: café olé was on the outskirts of town, so they didn’t have a long ride, at least. Jun never let go of Jeonghan’s hand.

Jun had a black coffee: Jeonghan ordered a latte, and they sat down in a small secluded booth at the back.

“So…” Jun smiled up. “What’s your name?”

“…Jeonghan. Yoon Jeonghan.”

“Hi, Jeonghan. I’m Jun.”

“Hi, Jun.”

“You’re my omega.”

Jeonghan nodded.

“You’re… uhm.” Jun went a bit pink. “Aren’t you a little too handsome for me?”

“You’re handsome!” Jeonghan responded, a little too quickly.

Jun grinned a little, moving to put both hands around his hot drink. “Thank you.”

The two drank in silence for a moment.

“This is kind of nice.”

“Look, listen,” Jeonghan interrupted. “You really don’t want this.” His pointed between them. “I’m not the kind of omega people like you have.”

“People like me?”

“Respectable young people who do well in school and live good lives.”

“And you’re the kind of omega that…?”

Jeonghan looked down at his coffee. “Nothing.”

It took the alpha a moment. “Is it that you’re scared of me? I know the first moments after… well, this, I know alphas can be intimidating. Especially the smell. I wouldn’t hurt you, beautiful.” Jun reached for Jeonghan’s hand, but the omega slid back more.

“That’s not it,” he said, staring at his coffee pointedly.

“Not afraid?”

He shook his head.

“That’s good.”

“I can’t be your omega.”

“That’s not good.” The answer sounded a little strangled this time.

“Just, um…”

Jun bit his lip. He’d imagined everything to be a little more romantic than this. The awkward boy across the table was possibly the most beautiful man he’d ever beheld, and yet he was saying all kinds of strange things.

“Just forget we ever met. I mean if you ever need me to get better or something I’ll come, but just forget I exist. It’s better for you that way. Better for me, too.”

“F-forget?” Jun stuttered. “I don’t want to forget. I can’t forget. You’re my omega. That’s something special.”

“No, it’s not.” Jeonghan got up quickly. “Forget me, please.” And with that he stalked out of the shop, tall and beautiful and right out of Jun’s life.

Jun sat at the table, staring at the door long after his omega had left.

This boy – Jeonghan – seemed like an angel. He was beautiful – masculine and feminine at the same time. His eyes were deep – very deep. There was no mistaking their bond. So why was Jun still alone?

 

* * *

 

 

Joshua dug his thumbs into Jihoon’s shoulders. “Ji~hoo~nie,” he sang as he rubbed his back. “Why the face?”

“Too many people.”

Seokmin, Jooheon, Seungkwan, Seungcheol, Jeonghan and Vernon looked at him.

“Do you want to leave?”

Jihoon shook his head.

“What then?”

“It’s a lot.”

After the exhaustive history lesson – the most Jihoon had ever spoken in one day since he was ten – he hadn’t opened his mouth to utter a syllable for the entirety of eight days and nights. These were the first words he spoke in that time.

Joshua put his arms around Jihoon happily. “I like it.”

“Sooooo, now that we’re all on speaking terms again,” Seungkwan began, “what’s up with Joshua being allowed to touch you?”

Seungkwan and Seungcheol were not your usual alpha-omega couple. In fact, their relationship seemed to consist of Seungcheol trying to be nice and Seungkwan yelling at him, but everybody had kind of given up on it now.

“Yeah,” Jeonghan leaned in. “The last time somebody tried to touch you, you broke his fingers.”

“Sorry, Jeonghan.”

“My poor, poor fingers.”

“Sorry.”

“I couldn’t jack-”

“Okay, Jeonghan, we got it,” Seokmin quickly intervened.

Joshua shrugged when it became evident Jihoon wasn’t about to answer that question. “I guess being his beta has its ups.”

“What are the downs?” Jooheon asked.

“I get to wake him up _every_ morning because I’m the only one he won’t physically assault,” Joshua deadpanned.

The table erupted into laughter.

Hansol glanced at Jihoon – Jihoon looked back. It was no secret why Jihoon had a face like he’d just eaten a lemon.

Seungcheol, the eldest grandson of Kim Samsil, was sitting across the table, his hand in Seungkwan’s.

That was a guarantee to irk _any_ prince. And especially a prince who had sworn to kill the entire Samsil line.

But only _after_ high school. Murdering people during secondary education was just irresponsible.

But that didn’t mean it didn’t get under his skin. The reason Joshua was allowed to hug Jihoon so much in public was because they both knew what would happen if he didn’t have his strong arms around the small alpha male.

“Seungkwan, eat some more.”

“You eat some more! Stop bothering me, are you my mother?”

Seungcheol kissed Seungkwan’s nose briefly. “Shhhhhh, don’t be like this.”

“Are you crazy? Do you want me to hit you?”

“Baby…”

Jihoon turned to glance at Joshua. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Let’s leave then.”

The two of them got up.

“We’re going to walk Hansol to class early,” Joshua announced. “See you guys later, okay?”

Joshua was following his alpha dutifully when it happened.

“Hyung, can you-”

Jihoon was only 164 centimeters tall. This giant, at over 185, could never have seen him if he wasn’t looking for him.

The moment the two collided, it was as if an explosion had occurred: a rumbling ripped through the cafeteria like a mixture between canon shots and the screaming of metal being torn apart.

The resulting scent threw the giant down to the ground, flat on his back. Unfortunately, the giant also pulled Jihoon down with him in one fell swoop: the small alpha landed on top.

There was a deep moment of silence.

The smell of _Jihoon_ – of acid and pine sap – protruded once more, accompanied by the smell of cloves and apple cider and hot desert sand.

Jihoon’s lips were planted firmly on the poor giant under him.

It took everybody in the cafeteria a few moments to realize what had just happened.

Lee Jihoon had just met his omega.

His omega was Kim Mingyu, son of the Samsil group.


	9. And There, Mingyu's Jaw Had Been So Perfect...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon and Mingyu have a physical altercation.

The last thing Jihoon could have expected was his reaction.

His entire face lit up: the grin painted on his face grew very wide, making his cheeks bunch up. There was a twinkle like fireworks in his eyes and his sharp teeth showed as he radiated pure joy and happiness. “Alpha!” he cried, hugging Jihoon tightly. “It’s my alpha! I found my alpha!”

Granted, this was now normal alpha-omega relationships worked. Finding each other was pure bliss. Occurrences like Seungkwan’s were rare, and usually born out of misconception. After all, alphas and omegas spent the rest of their lives together, and happily too – there was no reason to be angry with each other. Most ended up planning their wedding together.

Mingyu stood up, the tiny boy that was his alpha in his arms. “You’re my alpha! My al-”

Jihoon’s tiny fist hit Mingyu’s jaw so hard there was an audible _crack_ noise: the small boy was boiling with rage. He gripped the omega’s collar, pulling him down. “Touch me again and I’ll fucking _kill_ you,” he growled. And with that the boy threw the omega over to his brother, stalking out of the cafeteria.

It wasn’t until he was outside the room – far outside – that Joshua managed to keep up.

“For somebody with such tiny legs you run incredibly fast,” he panted. “Let me see your hand.”

“Go away,” Jihoon growled.

“Alpha,” Joshua panted, sweating under the duress of an alpha’s command. “Please.”

“Get me out of here,” Jihoon demanded, heat radiating through his body like a hot rod.

The beta needed no more invitation than that: he gripped Jihoon’s hand and pulled him along: the small alpha simply tittered along behind him, allowing himself to be dragged along until the two boys were locked in the bathroom of their dorm.

Jihoon looked at Joshua – his anger was subsiding, slowly being replaced by shock and a little fear. “Did what I think just happened just happen?”

“If you mean that your omega is Kim Mingyu, your one sworn enemy, and that you immediately claimed him and then punched him in the face, then yes.”

“I didn’t claim him!” Jihoon cried.

Joshua thought about it. “No, you have to kiss an omega to claim them. You definitely kissed. Accidentally, but it was a kiss.”

“I. Did. Not. Claim. Him. He. Is. Not. My. Omega.”

The words were deep – they held such force, such authority in them, agitated by the alpha’s scent and command that Joshua was brought to his knees in a bow.

“My liege,” he whispered. “For some reason, the universe means for you to be together. You of all people should know how holy this bond is.”

“Joshua, shut up for a minute.”

“Yes sir.”

Jihoon paced the length of the tiny bathroom for a long time – at least five minutes passed before the others in the dorm came home, but even then, Jihoon kept pacing.

Suddenly he stopped. “What did you mean?”

Joshua cocked his head in question.

“Such tiny legs?”

Joshua winced. He knew better than most what a sore point the boy’s height was. He should have held his tongue.

“Sorry.”

Jihoon sat on the edge of the bathtub, still fuming before suddenly crying out, hissing and holding his right hand tightly.

“Let me see it.”

“It’s fine.”

“I heard a crack and I have a feeling it wasn’t your pretty boy’s jaw.” Joshua knelt in front of his prince and gently took his hand, prodding it here and there. “Ah, seems like it was his jaw after all. It’s not broken… just a bad sprain.”

“I know how to throw a punch,” Jihoon defended himself weakly as his beta grabbed the first-aid kit.

A fist pounded on the bathroom door. “How long are you two going to make out in there?” Jeonghan whined.

“At least let me bandage his hand up,” Joshua yelled back. He carefully dressed his alpha’s sprained hand. “Now, no more throwing punches. If you keep hitting people, what good is a beta?”

Jihoon almost tweaked at a smile. “Thanks Joshua.”

“You’re welcome. Now, how’s our acting face?”

Jihoon took a deep breath and nodded.

Joshua opened the bathroom door.

“Hyung, you can’t break my alpha’s little brother’s jaw like that,” Seungkwan whined instantly.

“Child, shut up.”

Seungkwan’s jaw dropped in indigence. “What – how dare you!”

“He’s had a rough day,” Joshua mumbled weakly.

“Yeah well the school nurse is setting Mingyu’s _jaw_!” Seokmin answered, mouth agape. “What is wrong with you? What kind of alpha swings at his omega like that after claiming him?”

“I didn’t claim him!” Jihoon whined.

Static filled the air for a moment, then the annoying buzzing voice came.

“Lee Jihoon to the Principal’s office. Lee Jihoon to the Principal’s office.”

The Prince barely had to look up.

“I’ll come with you. Don’t worry.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Jihoon, you understand that this isn’t okay.”

Jihoon sighed deeply. “Yes, sir.”

“I understand your frustration.”

The boy’s words struck like lightning – fast and hard. “You have _no_ idea what it’s like.”

“Was your father not my brother in all but blood?” Principal Kim hissed. “Did he not entrust _me_ with his only son? Did I not _swear_ myself to him and his line?”

Jihoon’s glare returned to the carpet.

“Although… I could never have imagined this would happen. For you and the Kim boy to be bonded in this way.”

“We are not bonded.”

“Don’t blaspheme like that,” his uncle muttered. “What you did today was unbefitting of your lineage. You’ve shamed your name, your title and all alphas at this school today.”

Jihoon closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn’t see – couldn’t think past the idea that the grandchild of the man who killed his parents was his _omega_. The rage – the unsettling urge to _murder_ the boy was still flowing hot in his veins.

“Jihoon. I’m having you moved into an alpha dorm.”

His head flicked up instantly. “Sir, no. Please.”

“My hands are tied. I… I know that…” He took a deep breath. “Well, this should teach you how to behave around your own omega. You don’t understand. You’re too strong. You’re a danger to the omegas.”

Jihoon’s eyes closed again.

“…can Joshua come?”

The beta’s hand on his shoulder stiffened.

The principal sagged into a chair. “Yes,” he sighed. “It would be unnaturally cruel to keep you two from each other. I’ll re-divide some of the dormitories.”

Jihoon nodded once.

“Jihoon… no, your Highness.” Principal Kim looked up unhappily. “Did I not do right by your parents? When did I teach you to do something like this? To attack an omega – not any omega, your _own_ omega – like a wild animal? Sacred laws placed to us by your own forefathers – do they mean nothing in the waking dawn of your lost crown? Just because it’s no longer your kingdom, you should be like this?”

For the first time since he was five years old, Lee Jihoon cried.

Joshua pulled the boy in, shielding his face against his broad chest. “Shhhh,” he cooed, stroking Jihoon’s hair. “Sir, I think that’s enough.”

The principal nodded slowly. “Sit in my waiting room until I call for you two again.”

Joshua led his alpha out, picked him up and sat him down on his lap.

“It’s not _fair,_ ” the boy broke out in a terrified sob. “I don’t want to be my grandfather. It’s not _fair_.”

“Shhhhhh, it’ll be alright,” Joshua cooed. “It’ll be alright.”

 

* * *

 

 

Tears streamed down Mingyu’s cheeks as the nurse fiddled with his jaw.

“Does it hurt a lot?” Seungcheol asked, gripping his little brother’s hands.

“Uh-uh,” was all he could manage until the nurse let him go.

“Don’t move. I’m going to put your jaw back. Okay? One-” Without any more warning the nurse gripped Mingyu’s jaw from its dislocation back into place. “There, all done.”

That stung – a lot – but it wasn’t the reason the boy was crying. The nurse gave him an injection to numb the pain in the mouth – soon he couldn’t feel a thing.

Seungcheol hugged his brother. “Shhhhhh… there’s no more pain, right?”

“My _alpha,_ ” the younger boy broke out in a pained sob, “hit me in the _face_.”

“Oh, now shhhhh,” Seungcheol tried to coo.

“He doesn’t like me,” Mingyu sobbed unhappily. “He… I think he hates me… m-my alpha already hates me…”

“Shhhhh, Gyugyu. I’m sure it won’t be all that bad. I’m sure it was just… some stupid reflex or a misunderstanding. I’m sure he doesn’t hate you.”

“He told me I could n-never t-touch him!” Mingyu sobbed, almost screaming into his brother’s shoulder. “A-and… I-I loved him from the- the moment we touched!”

“Nobody hates you. Who could hate such a cute little boy as my baby brother?” Seungcheol kissed his brother’s forehead. “Your Alpha will come around, just you wait.”

“You really think so?” he sniffled.

“You betcha.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Insert excited jumping up and down here* Eeeeeeek please love this chapter it was so much fun to write!


	10. Dorm Shuffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon is reckless in his new dormitory. Hansol meets Minghao, and Minghao is more than he seems.

Joshua and Jihoon were placed in a dorm with alphas Wonwoo and Ren, and a beta named Soonyoung: Mingyu and an omega called Leo were placed in 105b.

“That worthless turd of a son of a bitch,” Jihoon ranted, unpacking his suitcase, “is going to be sleeping in _my_ bed in _my_ dorm with _my_ -”

“Would you get over it?” Joshua muttered. “It’s not like you’re sleeping in there with him.”

“Do you have to be like this?” Jihoon huffed.

There was a knock on the open door. “Uh…”

Joshua dropped the pillow he was fluffing up. “Hey guys, come on in. I’m Joshua, that’s my alpha Jihoon.”

The handsome boy at the front shook the offered hand. “The one that went crazy and decked Mingyu.”

“Uhhhh…”

“I’m Wonwoo, this is Soonyoung. He’s my beta.”

“Hi Soonyoung.”

“…where IS your alpha?” Soonyoung asked, popping his head in.

Joshua turned around. “Uh…”

“I’m here I swear,” came a voice.

“…Hoonie…”

“I just need to line up the corners!”

The three men at the door waited patiently for the young alpha male to come out from inside the sheet for his duvet, hair all mussed up.

“…he’s cute,” Wonwoo pointed out. “ _He_ decked Mingyu? What did he do, climb a ladder?”

“Wanna find out what I did?” Jihoon asked sharply, rolling up a sleeve.

“Cool it Hoonie, I don’t feel like having to explain to my parents that I became a delinquent’s beta,” Joshua muttered. It was safe to say that no matter how much he loved Jihoon like a baby brother, his bullshit-o-meter was full for the day.

Jihoon sighed and simply waved. “Hi guys.”

Needless to say, both boys were a little anxious walking into a dormitory with the boy who knocked his own omega’s face out of place.

“Hey, bunny rabbit.”

“I swear to god Ren, I’ll murder you with my own hands.” Jihoon didn’t even look up from the quilt he was arranging.

“Somehow I think if you choked me it would only serve to make me like you more,” Ren smirked from the doorway. “Hello boys. I’m Ren. If you’ll excuse me, dessert was just served and I’m hungry.”

“Ren,” Joshua muttered, barring the way. “You make my life so difficult.”

“Ren, you get the spare bed,” Jihoon mumbled. “Bunkbeds are for alphas with their betas.”

“All the easier to kiss you, handsome.”

“Do you want to die?”

Ren chuckled, dancing into the room: his flippancy in the face of Jihoon’s threats served to make Wonwoo and Soonyoung a little easier.

Within a few hours they were all settled in, and a bathroom routine was established. Ren smirked over at Jihoon from his bed.

“So… your omega wasn’t all that, huh… or were you secretly just holding out for me?”

Jihoon sighed, throwing down his magazine. “Ren?”

“Yes?”

“I need you to go outside, find a very very short pier, and take a very very long walk off of it.”

“Aw, c’mon.”

“Okay, fine.” Jihoon swung his legs over the edge of his bed, glaring. “Let’s make out.”

Ren paled. “Seriously?” The glint in his eyes held a lot of promise.

Jihoon tried to ignore the stares he was getting. “Yeah, here.” He crossed the room, straddled Ren’s lap and pressed his lips up in a kiss.

The room went still in shock.

Ren growled a little, and Jihoon growled back. When alphas took to each other well enough, they were known to break down entire houses. Ren’s fingers clawed into Jihoon’s back; Jihoon’s fingers gripped Ren’s hair by the fistful as they tongued each other’s mouths.

Wonwoo and Soonyoung looked at each other in shock. For an alpha – an alpha that only _just_ found his omega – to be sitting on another alpha’s lap and kissing him?

“Hoonie, get your shit together,” Joshua drawled. “ _Please_.”

Jihoon came off Ren’s mouth with a harsh growl and a glare in his eye. “Now are you satisfied?”

Ren licked his lips and smirked a little. “Well, not really. But this will do. For now.” He leaned in to speak, his eyes instantly finding Joshua’s face as he whispered. “One day I’ll have you on this bed naked, and then we’ll see how it goes. I think you like me.”

Jihoon scoffed. “In your dreams, Ren.”

“Only the wet ones!”

 

* * *

 

 

“Hansol, your parents are here.”

“My parents?” Hansol answered in surprise, moments before going into the Principal’s office. Right there in the leather seats sat his parents. “Mom, dad!”

“Hey there sport!”

“Hansol please come here,” the Principal smiled.

It was only then that Hansol noticed the boy in the chair.

He was very skinny, and a little small: he had curly, messy hair, and didn’t turn to see what was happening behind him.

“Uh… what’s this about?”

“Close the door.”

The boy ran back to shut the door behind him, then jogged up to his parents to look at the boy that sat between them.

He had bright, amber eyes and a sweet, innocent-looking face. It was void of emotion.

“Hansol,” his mother spoke in a low tone. “About two weeks ago this boy was retrieved from the Samsil Group.”

Hansol instantly stood erect. “What?”

“They’ve had him there for… programming, his whole life.” His mother even struggled to bring out the words. “To see if they could turn him into an alpha. Or a machine. A weapon. He’s been… hurt… very badly: mentally and physically he has been artificially grown to his current age of sixteen, and has no knowledge of who he truly is. Your father and I have adopted him for now, and given him the name Minghao. He’s your surrogate brother.”

“He… truly… is?”

“Hansol,” the Principal murmured lowly. “The boy you’re looking at is the newborn prince who was supposedly slaughtered in the palace eleven years ago.”

His jaw dropped a little.

It took everybody in the room a moment.

“I would have thought you’d have a stronger reaction,” Hansol’s father murmured.

“Uh, about that.” Hansol gulped a little. “I have something to tell you, dad…”

 

* * *

 

 

The boys were left alone in the office while the adults talked by themselves. Hansol knelt down by the boy called Minghao, looking up. “Hey,” he said softly.

There was no recognition in Minghao’s eyes.

“Minghao?” he tried again, his voice just as soft. The boy’s head seemed to jerk as if he was just a body. “Do you want to give me your hand?”

Hansol had tamed rabbits when he was a child. He was singularly skilled to do this. He simply held his palm out in Minghao’s line of sight.

Slowly, as if he were a ghost, Minghao put his hand in Hansol’s.

Everything changed.

Minghao’s head jerked up in shock: Hansol just stood, gasping for air. The two stared at each other for a very long time.

Minghao smelled of lavender and honey.

Then the boy’s eyes changed: the glint in them shifted and then he was shaking. He was _scared_.

A boy who had known nothing but torture all his life: of course a sensation like this would frighten him. An alpha towering over him? Even worse. Hansol squatted down again very quickly, still cupping Minghao’s hand gently.

“Shhhhhh,” he cooed softly. “It’s alright. I’m Hansol. And I will never let anybody or anything hurt you, ever again.” And with that, to claim his omega, Hansol gently pressed his lips to Minghao’s.

The next look Minghao gave was a little warmer. He stopped shaking.

Hansol squatted back down, his heart racing. This boy – this fragile, hurt, scared little boy – was Hansol’s to protect.

“Hansol? What’s happening?” His mother bustled in. “Oh, what a smell!”

Hansol looked up. “He’s my omega,” he whispered.

After some chaos and consternation, everybody had to be settled with a cup of tea. Minghao didn’t react to tea: he simply kept his eyes on Hansol, following him no matter where he was.

“We all agree it’s best not to tell Jihoon about this,” the Principal muttered. “I don’t think he’s ready for news like this yet.”

Hansol considered what the prince had done to Mingyu, his omega, and nodded in agreement. “Ain’t that the truth.”

“Minghao will need to go through extensive therapy,” he continued. “Speech therapy, muscle therapy, a psychiatrist. He will need a lot of work to get through this.”

When it came time for them to part, however, Minghao wouldn’t move. His limp hand in Hansol’s had become a vice grip: the silent boy would not move from his alpha, not a single step. No matter how much coaxing was involved, Minghao wouldn’t budge.

“I guess he’ll have to stay here with me then.” Hansol tried to hide his delight. He didn’t succeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ploooooooot twiiiiiiiiiiiist... let me know how you feel about this!!


	11. Poor Mingyu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon and Mingyu get absolutely nowhere.

“Hey, Mingyu?”

The boy was so tall when he straightened up it was kind of scary. “Uh, yeah?”

Jeonghan tried to smile a little. “Listen, I know Jihoon can… well, just don’t take it to heart. Okay? I-I’m sure whatever the problem is, it can be resolved. Jihoon’s a special kind of person and, uh… well… he’s a bit stupid, too.”

Mingyu pulled his mouth into a hard horizontal line. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Try not to hate him, yeah?”

“H-hate him?” Mingyu shook his head quickly. “I-I’d never hate him! He’s my alpha! What kind of an omega doesn’t love their alpha with all their heart?”

Seokmin was the only one who could really answer to that. “You’re a good person, Mingyu. I’m sure you guys will get there.”

“He does things like this… often?”

“No,” Seokmin answered slowly. “In fact, we all thought he was an omega at first. We’ve known him for years. Never thought… well, it doesn’t matter. You’ll work it out.”

Mingyu sat on his bed with a little sigh. “Yeah.”

“I mean, you’re sleeping in his bed and all,” Seungkwan mumbled. “At least for the first few days you won’t get sick because his scent is still on the mattress.”

Mingyu looked at the bed in shock. “It was his?”

“Yeah, that’s where he slept.”

It took the tall boy a moment before he slowly laid down in his bed, pressing his face against the pillow before giggling and hiding his face under the covers. “My alpha,” he chuckled to himself.

The other boys in the dormitory grinned. What a cutie.

The next morning Mingyu was in class early. Like, early-early. And if he’d had a tail, it would have been wagging excitedly like a puppy-dog’s.

Today he was going to see his alpha again. Everybody had assured him that whatever it was, it would reside: his alpha would probably come over and apologize.

But Mingyu was going to see his alpha. Smell his alpha’s scent. And that was more than enough to be excited about.

Seungcheol looked over to his little brother and crossed his fingers. Hopefully whatever this was, it would be resolved by now. He couldn’t bear to see his little brother hurt again.

 Slowly the classroom filled up, and then class started – without Mingyu’s alpha, or that alpha’s beta. Seungcheol couldn’t help but notice everything in Mingyu sag a little.

The door opened in the middle of class.

“Sorry we’re late, ma’am,” Joshua and Jihoon chorused.

The teacher looked at them with an unimpressed gaze. “Why _are_ you so late?”

“Ren,” they chorused.

“He’s been a little… _clingy_ ,” Joshua mumbled.

“Well, you know the drill,” she answered. “Twenty push-ups per person for being late.”

Joshua groaned.

“It’s okay Josh, I’ll do all forty, you sit down.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Fifty,” the teacher corrected. “For assuming Joshua’s punishment as well, ten more.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jihoon quickly pulled off his uniform’s blazer jacket, throwing it to Joshua. “Let’s just get this over with.” He undid his tie, flicking it towards his beta who caught it with precision.

When Jihoon stretched, buttons flew off his shirt.

“Damn it, I knew this was getting too small,” he growled.

His teacher chuckled a little to herself.

Jihoon ripped his shirt off as well, throwing it – Joshua had the rest of the boy’s clothing folded in a neat pile.

Mingyu – who had been looking up so excitedly, expectantly – quickly averted his eyes down to his table, a dark blush rising over his cheeks. His alpha just stripped to the flesh in front of the _whole class._ Like a man. A quick glance up proved that the boy was indeed an alpha – despite the innocent look on his face and his extremely short stature, he was built with lean, hard muscles. The boy dropped to the floor and began to heave himself up and down.

When he got past the first 25, he switched to just using one hand: the other, bandaged, moved onto his back.

Mingyu rubbed his jaw a little when he saw the bandage. Somehow, he could only think about whether Jihoon was in pain.

For the last ten push-ups, Jihoon only pushed himself up off a single finger.

“Thank you Jihoon,” his teacher grinned as he walked to Joshua to retrieve his clothing. “A perfect example of what happens to people when they’re late.”

Jihoon didn’t answer. He decided moving dorms was enough: he didn’t need detention on top of that.

Mingyu’s entire body slumped a little when his alpha sat back in his seat without even glancing his way.

“Don’t worry,” Seungcheol whispered. “With all that commotion of course he didn’t come over. Break will be different.”

During break, Jihoon had to leg it back to the dorms to get a new shirt – and barely skid into the classroom on time for geography.

“Lunch,” Seungcheol reassured, but Mingyu was losing hope fast.

At lunch-time, Jihoon stalked past his omega without another glance.

“Alpha!” The boy couldn’t help himself – his body reacted in desperation before his mind could catch up. “Let’s get lunch together!”

Jihoon turned. The black death in his eyes gave no room for hope or doubt. “Don’t even _look_ at me,” he growled angrily before leaving the classroom.

Mingyu froze in shock before quickly hurrying back to his chair, head hanging as if he’d just been scolded.

“What a bastard,” Seungcheol murmured, petting his brother’s hair. “Hey, come o-”

“He _hates_ me,” Mingyu whispered, aghast. “He really, really hates me, hyung… I… I don’t know what to do…”

“Shhh-”

“What did I do wrong? I-I don’t want him to hate me!”

“Listen, you need some sugar. Let’s go get lunch.”

“You’ll sit with me?”

“No, you’ll sit with me. After all, your dormmate is my omega, right? We’ll all sit together like a proper family.”

Mingyu was dragged to lunch and queued for his food, anxiety written all over his sad little face until he got to the table.

“W-where’s Jihoon?” he asked in surprise, the words falling softer and more forlorn than he had meant.

“He never showed up,” Seungkwan answered. “Which sucks. Should I text him?”

“You have his number?” Mingyu straightened in his chair.

“Yeah, sure. Do you want it?”

“…I don’t think he’d want me to have it.”

“So what?”

“Seungkwan, be kind to my baby brother,” Seungcheol cooed, giving his omega a sweet peck on the cheek. “He’s been through a lot this morning.”

“Sorry, Gyu. And Seungcheol, get off me. So gross.”

A bob of long wavy hair jumped up to the table: Hansol had a small boy’s hand in his. “Hey guys! Hey, where’s Jihoon?”

“Nobody knows,” Seokmin sang. “Who’s your friend?”

“Right! Uh, Everyone, this is Minghao. He’s my omega.” Hansol’s face shone so proudly, holding his omega’s hand in the air a moment.

Amidst the congratulations, nobody noticed both Jeonghan and Mingyu look away unhappily.

“So Minghao how old are you?”

“He doesn’t speak,” Hansol quickly answered.

It took Seungkwan a moment. “What do you mean, _doesn’t speak_?”

“Don’t touch him either, he doesn’t like it.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

Hansol turned to his omega and smiled like he’d just seen the sun. “Nothing. He’s absolutely perfect. Listen we’re going to grab some food – we’ll be back, yeah?”

Mingyu slumped unhappily once they were out of earshot. “I’m going to die alone,” he whined.

“You’re not going to die alone,” Jooheon reassured him.

“Listen, Jihoon’s just an awkward idiot who doesn’t know how emotions work,” Seungkwan answered, his voice a little too loud as ever. “He’ll get over himself, you just need to be patient.”

“What kind of person has to be _patient_ for his alpha to decide he wants him?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Jihoon, you can’t keep this up.”

“I can’t be his alpha,” Jihoon groaned, scrubbing his neck furiously to get rid of the smell. “I refuse. It’s just a fluke or something.”

“You know it’s not.”

“Did I ask you?”

Joshua sighed a little. “Look, you can at least try to be civil. As long as you’re still in high school you’re stuck with him anyway. Why not try to make it a little more bearable for the both of you?”

“You don’t understand. I plan to slit his throat, his brother’s, his father’s and his grandfather’s.”

“Throat-slitting is a post-high school activity,” Joshua pointed out. “You’re being unreasonable.”

Jihoon sighed and put his shirt back on. “I can’t do it.”

“You might not have a choice, you’ll both get sick if you keep this up.” Joshua pointed a little. “And speaking of sick, either I’m seeing things, or you’ve been scratching chicken pox on your chest for ten minutes already.”

“… _damn it._ ”


	12. All Aboard the S.S. Junhan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun and Jeonghan talk it out. Seungkwan has a word that triggers painful memories.

“Jeonghan.”

He wanted to escape, but there was nowhere he could go fast enough: Jun gripped his wrist and pulled him along until they were tramping towards the school’s back garden.

“Jun, let me go!”

“Not until you hear me out.”

Jeonghan was pointed towards a seat, and he couldn’t disobey: Jun squatted down in front of him. “Listen. I don’t know why you rejected me. I just know that I didn’t like it. I want you to be my omega.” The look Jun gave him was desperate. “Please. I don’t… I don’t want to be alone.”

Jeonghan grappled with words for a moment. “…you don’t want me to be your omega.”

“Why not?” he demanded.

“…I’ve, I mean, I’m…”

“You’re all I want, Jeonghan.”

“I… I have a bad past.”

“So what?”

“Eh?”

Jun stood a little and took Jeonghan’s face between his hands. “I don’t care about what you’ve been doing in the past. You’re my omega now. I want to protect you. I want to keep you safe. Have… have you any idea what it’s like to sit there in that classroom and not be allowed to touch you?” Jun held Jeonghan’s eyes for an immeasurable moment of desperation. “To know that you’ve rejected me? Is there something wrong with me? Something you don’t like? Whatever it is, I’ll change it.”

“N-No, it’s… it’s not that, it’s me, I’m…”

“Jeonghan, I’m begging you. Just give me a chance. All I want is a chance to prove myself worthy of being your alpha. I’ll hold you, protect you, I _promise_.” Jun smoothed the back of his hand over Jeonghan’s forehead. “You’re already feverish without me. Please?”

Jeonghan closed his eyes. Jun’s hand on his forehead had been the nicest thing he’d felt since his alpha had claimed him with a kiss. He simply nodded a little.

“Really?” Jun gasped happily. He took one of Jeonghan’s hands and kissed the back of it fervently. “Thank you, Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan blushed a little – whether it was from the light fever or embarrassment, his alpha couldn’t tell. “How about we just stay out here for a while? Come here.” Jun sat down in the next chair and pulled Jeonghan onto his lap. “The sooner you get better, the sooner I can take you out on another date.”

Jeonghan just sighed, resting his head on Jun’s collarbone. “Sorry, alpha.”

“Don’t apologize, handsome,” Jun smiled, giving his omega a peck on the cheek. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

Once the fever had gone down a little, Jeonghan was at peace: his alpha was holding his hand as they roamed the school halls after class, as if there was nothing wrong with the world.

“Oh? Jeonghan, is this your boytoy of the day?”

Jeonghan stiffened, turning a little. “Please go away, Jiyong.”

The senior boy came closer. “Oh nah. Aren’t you into threesomes? I mean, you’re that kind of slut, right? He’s pretty. I’ll finish both of you, promise.”

“Jiyo-”

Before Jeonghan could really collapse into a pile of anxiety, Jun let a growl so terrifying rip from his chest both Jiyong and Jeonghan skittered back a little.

“This is my _omega,_ ” the boy growled menacingly, his body crouching a little. “Keep walking, pretty boy.”

Jiyong looked at Jeonghan, top to bottom. “…how long have you gone dry for? How long has he been your omega?”

“Two _weeks_ ,” Jun growled, unchanged.

“Two _weeks_ ,” Jiyong chuckled. “Oh Jeonghan, how are you still alive right now?”

Jun let another growl rip.

“You know, I think Jeonghan’s banged every person in school?” Jiyong leaned against a pillar. “Two weeks is a new record for a slut like him.”

“Keep walking,” Jun repeated angrily.

Eventually Jiyong decided his chances of living were better if he didn’t antagonize an alpha defending his mate, and shrugged off. “Good luck, Jeonghan. Let me know if you need anything.”

When Jun finally managed to relax and turn back, Jeonghan’s head was hanging unhappily – tears began to drip down his face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Jun was beside him instantly, holding him tightly. “Don’t cry,” he pleaded. “What are you sorry for?”

“I-I didn’t… w-want you to know… I-I’m a s-sl-slut,” Jeonghan cried. “I-I unders-stand if you d-don’t want to b-be my alpha.”

“…let’s talk.” Jun gripped Jeonghan’s hand tightly, pulling him along to his dorm.

Seungkwan and Seungcheol were cuddled up on a bed but the moment he saw Jeonghan, Seungkwan leapt up. “I’m not sticking around,” he called as he swiftly exited the room. “You shouldn’t either.”

“A-scram,” Jun hinted.

Seungcheol sprinted after his omega, closing the door on his way out.

Jeonghan was sat on Jun’s bed: the smell of him was sunk into the sheets, and it calmed the anxious, crying omega a little.

“Now, why don’t you tell me everything.”

“I…” It took Jeonghan a few tries to stop his errant sobs. “I – I have a medical condition. If I don’t, um… if there’s no… i- _intercourse_ for a c-certain amount of t-time, I-I get sick. S-so I had to, um… I-I didn’t think I’d g-get an alpha, s-so I… I’m so sorry!”

“Shhhh. Take deep breaths, Jeonghan.”

“I… I don’t want you t-to be tied to a… s-sl-slut!” Jeonghan gasped. “I-I w-want you t-to be ha-happy… You don’t h-have to be with… I-I’m sorry, I hoped you would never f-find out… s-since we met, I haven’t been able to, w-with anybody, a-and… I don’t want… I’m a mess!”

Jun leaned in and kissed him, stilling the sobs and the tears for a sweet moment of peace. “Jeonghan, why didn’t you just tell me?”

“H-how do you just tell somebody like that?” he whined. “Oh hey you’re my alpha, I need to have sex every day!”

Jun chuckled a little at that and shook his head, putting his arms around his omega. “Okay, I get it. Stupid question. Is… is this why you rejected me in the café?”

“I-I was so s-scared… p-please don’t hate me!”

“Hate you?” Jun pulled Jeonghan’s face towards him by the chin. “Hate my precious little omega?”

“Y-you don’t hate me?” Jeonghan was all confusion. “You don’t think I’m… repulsive?”

“No, baby, I don’t think that.” Jun pecked Jeonghan’s nose. “I think you’re the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. And I don’t care if you screwed the whole school and all the teachers too. You’re _my_ omega now. I’m here to protect you and take care of you any way you need. You’re my omega, Jeonghan. I love you.”

“L-love me?” Jeonghan’s desperate little fingers became fists in Jun’s clothing. “Do… do you mean that?”

“Yes, handsome.” Jun kissed him again: so sweet and softly it made Jeonghan a little weak at the knees. “I love you. My gorgeous, tall, beautiful omega Jeonghan.”

“I love you too,” Jeonghan whispered, tears drying on his cheeks. “I loved you since the moment we touched.”

Jun smiled and kissed him again with a broad smile. “Now… is there something I need to help you with, since we have some privacy?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Seungkwan, why are you like this?”

“Me? Why are you like this?”

Seungcheol sighed. He was suffering over his petulant omega, that was for sure.

Seungkwan ate his ice-cream happily then.

“You know, you’re a really annoying omega to have.”

Seungkwan froze in place, and for a moment, Seungcheol was expecting him to be angry. The boy bit his little lip, looking down. “Ah…”

“No, wait! That didn’t come out right!”

Seungkwan shook his head a little. “No… it’s okay. It’s annoying, right? I’m too loud and I’m not a nice person. I understand… I’m sorry it’s like this.”

“No really, I-”

“Ah, you’re not the first person to tell me this! Please don’t feel bad. I already knew I’m annoying so…”

Seungcheol threw down his ice-cream. “No, Seungkwan, I’m sorry, you’re not annoying, really.”

“Don’t take back things you’ve already said.” Seungkwan looked away, biting his lip more. “I mean… even my parents and siblings told me that, that’s why they sent me to a boarding school not a day school. I guess I just have a personality like that?”

“Seungkwan-”

“Ah, don’t feel guilty or like I’m lonely or anything! I’m already used to it. And… I guess having me as an omega, it just makes it worse. So if you don’t want to spend so much time with me anymore it’s okay. I’ll understand it.”

Seungkwan turned back to give his alpha a happy smile. It was the kind of smile that looked genuine, but held back more pain that the small boy would ever admit to.

Seungcheol grabbed the boy and kissed him.

Their mouths mashed together quickly: the way Seungcheol held him made Seungkwan’s knees weak. The kiss was strong and deep, as if the alpha could bear down into Seungkwan’s very soul with it. The omega’s arms slowly reached around his alpha, and then he was kissing him back: Seungkwan’s lips were softer, with more careful intent, but the alpha wasn’t having any of it. He led their kiss until Seungkwan was pushed up against a wall, face between his hands.

Seungcheol gently pulled off, staring into his omega’s eyes deeply. “Seungkwan, I love you.”

Seungkwan just stared, a little bewildered from the sudden kiss.

“I love you so much.” Seungcheol kissed him again with twice as much passion: he let out a little growl and Seungkwan whined against his lips, opening his mouth a little.

“I love you… too?” Seungkwan gasped for air, leaning his head back against the wall.

“And you can annoy me as much as you want, because I love you. And I’ll never let you down like that again. I won’t say a word against you ever again. I’ll protect you and love you forever, no matter what. Understand?”

Seungkwan looked at him and smiled a little, blushing deeply. “Shut up and kiss me, you idiot.”


	13. Hope You Weren't Shipping JiGyu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu makes a vengeful decision. Minghao is smart.

[Gyugyu♥] Please talk to me…

[Jihoon] Where did you get my number?

[Gyugyu♥] Seungkwannie gave it to me…   
[Gyugyu♥] Don’t be angry with him…  
[Gyugyu♥] Are you really going to ignore me?  
[Gyugyu♥] Alpha, whatever I’ve done to make you angry, please tell me. I’ll change it.

[Jihoon] Go away.

[Gyugyu♥] Please, alpha. I’ll change anything. Is it my hair? I don’t want you to be angry

[Jihoon] Stop messaging me.

[Gyugyu♥] Please tell me how to change for you.

[Jihoon] You really want me to like you more?

[Gyugyu♥] Yes! Please tell me how, alpha!

[Jihoon] Go away. Leave me alone. Never talk to me, look at me, touch me ever again.

_Gyugyu_ _♥ is typing…_

_Gyugyu_ _♥ has stopped typing._

Jihoon sighed in relief, setting his phone down. Finally, the little monster had given up on trying to message him.

Honestly, his constant puppy-like behavior was wearing Jihoon down. How was he even supposed to think with the boy tailing his every move?

A few moments later there was a brief knock and then the door opened.

Alphas were kept out of omega dorms because alphas are powerful beings: too often they can seem intimidating to the omegas. Omegas needed their own space to be safe and happy in, so alpha’s were banned from their dorms.

There were no rules to keep omegas out of alpha dorms.

Mingyu slammed the door open, having to duck a little in the doorway. “I hate you!” he screamed angrily, his face twisting in malice. “I really, really hate you!”

“Good!” Jihoon screamed back. “Close the door on your way out then!”

“Why do you hate me so much?!”

“Why are you still here? Get out!”

“Alpha!”

“I don’t want to be your bloody alpha! Get! Out!”

Mingyu narrowing ducked out of the way of a flying shoe: he closed the door before it could hit the hallway, and angrily stomped away.

Wonwoo leapt out of his bunk bed. “God, you’re the worst,” he growled. “Asshole. Mingyu! Wait!” He rushed out after Mingyu quickly. “Mingyu, wait up!”

“I really don’t want to talk,” Mingyu growled as he stomped along the hallways.

“Just stop for a moment,” Wonwoo commanded. “Hear me out.”

Mingyu stopped, throwing an annoyed glare back to the dorm before leaning against a pillar, frowning. “What, then?”

“Listen. Just listen, okay? It’s not fair that you’re bound to… that… asshole.” Wonwoo struggled a little with his words. “But that doesn’t mean you have to be miserable.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You could always choose to fall in love with somebody else, the way humans do.”

Mingyu straightened his back in shock. “…what?”

“Well, I mean… I’m sure there are loads of people who love you very much. Who would fall in love with you the normal way. You don’t really need to depend on him. You hate him, right?”

“Right,” Mingyu said, his voice faltering a little in shock. “But – who would want to date me? An omega who’s been claimed but his alpha won’t take him?”

Wonwoo shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know… I mean… I like you.”

“…sorry?”

Wonwoo sighed a little. “Well, you’re really handsome, and you and Cheol are really kind to each other. I’d… I think we could work. If you’d like to try it for a while. And then if it doesn’t work out then it doesn’t work out.”

It took Mingyu a moment. “You would… take… somebody like me?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Wonwoo sniffed defiantly.

Mingyu mulled it over.

“The other day… Jihoon made out with Ren.” Wonwoo saw the confusion and shock on Mingyu’s face and continued. “Straddled his lap and made out right there in the dorm in front of the rest of us. Just hours after claiming you. He doesn’t understand how precious you are. That you’re to be treasured. And… I promise you, I’d never hurt you like that.”

Slowly, Mingyu leaned down and kissed Wonwoo.

 

* * *

 

 

Minghao was very adamant in his silence: this boy wasn’t leaving his alpha. They went to class together, ate together: Minghao even refused to sleep in a bed alongside Hansol, the two of them simply cuddling up together in Hansol’s little bed.

The alpha didn’t mind one bit. It was a source of pride: this beautiful, scarred little boy was his to protect. This boy – a boy who was a prince – belonged with him. And even though he hadn’t made a single sound since they had first met, Minghao knew it too.

The more he was with Hansol, the better he seemed to get. He turned his head when people called his name – or at least, when Hansol called his name. He seemed to have selective hearing if it was anybody else.

The first few weeks, Hansol had to help him wash: the boy was afraid of nearly everything, and water was one of those things. Hansol had had to slowly start from the toes, holding Minghao’s hand with the shower head in the other, letting him get used to the warm water. The first few times it took hours to finish, but he got better until such times as Minghao could shower and dress by himself. Of course, if Hansol wasn’t ready and waiting when he came out he freaked out, but other than that, Minghao was definitely getting better.

He hadn’t said a single word yet, but that wasn’t the point.

Minghao hugged Hansol when he was upset, and stroked his face when he was tired. He sat by patiently, watching his alpha do his homework, or play sports.

Minghao was exempt from gym. The first time Hansol bathed him, he found out why: the torture the boy had sustained over the years was grafted into his skin. Countless scars marked where he had sustained pains he’d never speak of.

“Minghao,” Hansol whispered one afternoon. They were lying down on Hansol’s bed, away from the tedious post-school hours social life of most students. Foreheads pressed together, eyes closed. Well, Hansol’s were closed. Minghao could only rarely take his eyes off his alpha.

“Minghao,” he whispered again, opening his eyes. “I love you, you know.”

Minghao nodded once.

Hansol’s eyes shot open wide. It was the first time – in three whole weeks – that Minghao had given any indication that he understood what was happening around him.

“You understand me?”

Minghao nodded slowly.

“Minghao!” Hansol laughed happily, throwing his head back a moment, pressing forward to press his lips to his omega’s – for the second time ever. “Oh, sorry. I just got so excited! You can understand me!”

Minghao seemed to be at a loss at why exactly this was something that made Hansol happy, but his face seemed to brighten considerably, and he gave a tiny, very tiny smile and nodded again.

“I love you Minghao,” Hansol grinned. “I’ll tell you a lot from now on. Okay?”

Minghao nodded again, a little hesitantly.

“It’s a good thing, loving you,” Hansol explained happily, putting his head back on the pillow. “I like it a lot.”

Minghao just nodded again.

“Are there things you don’t understand, too?”

Slowly, the boy nodded again.

“I’ll explain them all to you.” Hansol sighed a little. “But first… maybe a nap. Is that okay?”

Unfortunately, Hansol was exhausted – the nightmares he’d been having about Jihoon in the palace were now intensified, his brain placing his omega in the building where so much death had occurred. He slept all through the rest of the day and the night as well.

“Hansol. Hansol get up.”

“W-what?” he asked his roommate groggily.

“Minghao did something.”

Hansol shot out of bed quickly. “What?” He looked at the sleeping boy on his bed and then his friend, who simply pointed to a stack of books.

There was a piece of paper on them, full of pencil marks: at the top of the page there were lines, scratchings – slowly as he read down the page they became smarter, straighter lines. Squares. Circles. Numbers. Letters.

Hansol flipped open his math book. The homework that was due today – intense, high-level homework – was all filled it. It wasn’t very neat – goodness knows Minghao had never held a pencil in his life – but but it was all there. And a few seconds later he realized it was all _correct_.

Hansol stared at his omega before going through all his other books. All his homework had been completed, and from what he could see, it was all correct.

Minghao didn’t just understand. Minghao _knew_. Minghao was _smart_. The boy could solve equations and evaluate poetry for fuck’s sake.

Hansol bent down and kissed his omega – full on the lips, sweet but passionate, _trying_ to withhold any emotions too strong.

It woke him up, for sure: Minghao didn’t know how to kiss back, he simply smiled.

“I love you, Minghao,” Hansol gasped. “Good morning, sunshine. Thank you.” He held up a book and kissed Minghao again. “You did my homework.”

Minghao looked up with wide, expectant eyes. The question was evident.

“It’s very good,” Hansol smiled. “And I love you.”


	14. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanie are a thing. 2Seung steals your heart. Vernhao deal with nightmares.

“Hey Mingyu?” his brother started. “You know those little voices in people’s heads that tells them when to stop, or when things are a bad idea? You don’t have one.”

“Hey hyung? Shut up.”

“You have an alpha.”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but he isn’t exactly talking to me,” the giant answered. “Besides. Wonwoo… I like Wonwoo a lot. So what if we date for a while?”

“It’s wrong,” Seungcheol said.

“It’s my choice.”

“You’re an omega. You don’t have choices.”

“Do you want to shut up now?”

“I’m just worried what this will do to you.”

Wonwoo squeezed Mingyu’s hand. “It’ll be okay, really. It’s not anything serious. I just want Mingyu to be happy again.”

Seungcheol sighed. He couldn’t deny that Mingyu had been a wet rag the past few weeks, and seeing his little brother like that wasn’t easy: there were moments he wanted to burst into Jihoon’s dorm himself and demand an explanation for his baby brother’s broken heart.

“What are you going to tell Jihoon?”

“Why do I have to tell him anything?” Mingyu sniffed in disdain. “He doesn’t want to talk to me.”

Seungcheol had to grant him that one.

Mingyu turned away a little. “How about we go to the cafeteria for coffee?”

 

* * *

 

“When can I look?”

“We’re not even nearly there yet,” Seungcheol answered. “Be patient.”

“Patience is not my strong point.”

“You don’t say?” Seungcheol laughed to himself, kissing the back of Seungkwan’s hand. “It’ll be worth it, okay?”

“I can’t believe I agreed to come out on a school day. If anybody catches us…”

“Nobody is going to catch us, Seungkwan.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Seungcheol took a deep breath and ignored his omega. Soon the bus stopped and Seungcheol led his blindfolded omega off it, picking him up off the last step and onto the pathway.

“Can I take it off now?”

“No, not yet.” Seungcheol took his hand, leading him on.

“I can already smell and hear the ocean,” Seungkwan complained. “I already know we’re at the beach.”

“You have no idea where we are, why, or where we’re going,” Seungcheol answered. “So how about you be a little less petulant and let hyung guide you for a while? Or I’ll have to kiss the sass out of you.”

Seungkwan pouted. “…doesn’t even sound so bad.”

Seungcheol simply laughed and led his omega.

Normally the younger boy would be worried in situations like this – tripping and falling flat on his face was not considered a favourite pastime – but in the hands of his alpha he knew he’d be more than safe. Even if that alpha was a bit of a loser.

It took Seungcheol a long time to get to where he wanted to be: then he stopped. “Stand right here, don’t move.” There was a lot of clicking and dropping and thumping for a long time, making Seungkwan sigh loudly.

“Okay… okay sit down here.”

Seungcheol led him forward and allowed Seungkwan to sink to the ground: once he was comfortable, the blindfold came off.

They were sitting on the outcrop of a cliff: below them was the long, white wind of the beach; across from them was the sea, the sun dying over the horizon, throwing pearly pinks and hot reds across the water.

They sat on a red-and-white checkered cloth, a large basket and blankets at their feet: near-by Seungcheol had set up a telescope.

“Seungcheol,” Seungkwan breathed, staring at the clear sky. It was a dazzling mash of hues – bright oranges and fiery reds and pearlescent pinks and lavender and all the shades of blue in the world.

“I thought you’d like it.”

“It’s like magic,” he breathed.

“I brought blankets and lots of food, we can stargaze as long as you’d like.”

Seungkwan turned to his alpha and tackled him to the ground in a hug. “Thank you! How did you know this was…? I mean, I’ve dreamt of it for so long…!”

“You talk in your sleep,” Seungcheol grinned.

Seungkwan pouted a bit at that. “I guess I can’t shut up even when I’m asleep, huh.”

“Nope,” Seungcheol agreed with a smile, pulling his omega into his lap. “But it’s okay. I love it,” he cooed, pecking Seungkwan on the lips. “I think you’re very, very cute. And tonight you belong all to me and me alone.”

“I always belong to you,” Seungkwan mumbled back. “You’re my alpha. I don’t have a choice.”

Seungcheol paused in his affections, leaning back a little. “…if you’d had a choice, you wouldn’t have chosen me?”

“We’ll never find out, will we?” Seungkwan sighed. “Sorry. It’s just… being an omega, you don’t have any choices. You’re bound to this person you don’t even know and you just have to deal with it.”

Seungcheol slowly took up Seungkwan’s hand, placing a chaste kiss on the back of it. “I’d never hurt you,” he promised lowly.

“I know.”

“Seungkwan, I treasure you so much.” More kisses on his hand. “To me, your safety and happiness are the most important things in the world. I’d give up anything to make you happy.”

“I know.”

“Then what are you unhappy about?”

He sighed. “Nothing, I guess. I’m sorry.” It took Seungkwan a moment. “Did… did I really upset you?”

Seungcheol nodded. “If you don’t want to be with me, Seungkwan… you’re free to leave, you know that. Like I said, if that’s what makes you happy, I’ll do anything. I’ll let you go if you don’t like me.”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Seungkwan cries, throwing his arms around Seungcheol’s shoulders. “D-don’t say scary things like that! Don’t ask me to leave!”

Seungcheol hugged his little omega tightly. “I’d never ask you to leave,” he whispered. “Don’t ever leave my side, Seungkwan.” The little boy was so upset at the thought he’d started to cry a little. “Don’t go anywhere I can’t come with you. I don’t want you to leave me, ever.”

“I love you,” Seungkwan sobbed.

“I love you too.”

 

* * *

 

“Minghao!”

The boy in question gripped Vernon’s face before his head could hit the top bunk, pulling him down to the pillow again. Minghao had done it so often now, it was a true reflex.

Hansol’s wide eyes took in Minghao’s peaceful form and he calmed down after a moment, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. “I had a nightmare,” he whispered.

Minghao nodded once.

“I’m sorry, I woke you up.”

He shook his head.

“You were still up? That’s even worse. I’m sorry, Haohao.” Hansol squeezed his hand: the two held hands in bed regularly. “You can go back to sleep now. It’s okay.”

Minghao shook his head, stroking his thumb over Hansol’s cheek worriedly, little wrinkles forming on his forehead.

“Don’t worry about me.” Hansol turned his head to kiss Minghao’s palm. “You go to sleep.”

Minghao shook his head again, curls bouncing.

“Then what do you want to do?”

Minghao leaned forward and gently pushed his lips to Hansol’s – he didn’t move his lips, just pressed them and then leaned back. Even in the dark, his blush was visible.

Hansol buried his face in his pillow for a moment. It was the first time Minghao had actually initiated a kiss – not that the boy knew how to kiss, but that wasn’t the point. “Oh my God,” Hansol whispered to his pillow before turning back. “I love you, Haohao.”

Minghao leaned in again: ever so softly his lips moved against Hansol’s for a moment before he jerked back in surprise at himself.

“Wha-”

Minghao hooked a leg around his alpha and moved until he was lying on top of him: leaning down he pressed his lips in for another kiss. Suddenly, Minghao was passionate – his lips forced Hansol’s open for an embarrassingly deep kiss. Minghao’s hands glided down Hansol’s chest a little.

Hansol simply smiled up against his omega, kissing him back: whatever this was, he wasn’t about to stop it.

 

* * *

 

It was as if the world had been a large, black hole of nothingness. Then Hansol had touched him and everything was in colour: overwhelming bright blues and happy pinks and blinding yellows. Suddenly, in a world where everything could hurt him, there was Hansol. Who smelled of dried leaves and brine and heather.

For some reason this boy made him feel _safe_. Not the fake safe people made him feel when he was about to go into the heat chamber, or the electric chair, or any of their other torture chambers. Without a single word or coo, Hansol made him feel safe, as if there had never been pain in the first place.

And when they kissed, it made his heart beat. Not the bad kind – not that kind, but a good kind. A kind that thrilled him. That made all his hair stand up on end and make his knees shake.

But Hansol dreamed at night. Bad things, like Minghao did. Hansol dreamed bad things, and it was more than Minghao could stand to see his knight in shining armour – his protector – shaking, scared, unhappy. Minghao would do whatever was necessary to stop it.

When they kissed, Minghao was happy. He got the idea Hansol didn’t mind, either.


	15. Seven Hours is Too Long for Joshua

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon is a tiny wrestling maniac. Boys kiss boys to get revenge on other boys. Class 12A goes on a trip.

When you’re only a very short boy, wrestling is not the kind of thing in gym you enjoy doing.

Especially not with your entire class watching.

But when you’re about to tackle the grandson of the man who murdered your family, you find a special kind of inner strength to slam him to the ground.

“I want this to be a clean match,” coach told them. “No biting, scratching, kicking, none of it. First to get pinned down for three seconds loses. Do I make myself clear?”

The two boys nodded.

“Go.”

Jihoon charged: his stature was small but he was very strong, and it surprised Seungcheol more than it should have after the incident with the push-ups. He didn’t even resist as he was slammed to the mat and pinned.

“…two, three! You’re out, Seungcheol. Again!”

This time, the older boy braced himself, but he was no match against the hatred that was burning inside the tiny alpha: it barely took him two seconds to pin Seungcheol, arm over his neck, choking him.

“Two, three! You can let him go now, Jihoon.”

It took him a moment.

“Jihoon,” Joshua scolded.

Jihoon let him off. “Next,” he growled.

Jihoon systematically wrestled every alpha in class 12 A and B until he was the victor. He’d lost his shirt somewhere in the middle, and none of the appraising omegas really minded. Not even the claimed ones. Not even the _marked_ ones.

Jihoon slammed Jun’s head to the ground with a little growl.

Coach slowly clapped. “Jihoon, I wonder how you would do against an omega?”

The boy scoffed. An alpha was strong – an omega would get ripped to pieces under his strength, likely as not.

“Mingyu, please come here.”

The unbelievably tall boy flinched first, then slowly made his way over to the mat.

“Let’s see if you’re still merciless against your own omega.”

“Coach, do you want me to die?” Mingyu whined.

“Oh come, come. He wouldn’t hurt his own omega.”

Obviously, coach hadn’t received the memo about Mingyu’s jaw.

“Go.”

Jihoon rushed forward, slamming the tall boy to the ground instantly.

“One, two, three! Okay, I was wrong.”

A few seconds passed.

“You can get off him now, Jihoon.”

The furious alpha ducked his head, taking a deep breath.

“Why do you smell of _Wonwoo_?” he asked. Part confusion, part anger.

“Would you get off of him?” Wonwoo called, running over to pull Jihoon off. “Are you okay baby?” Wonwoo pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead.

“I’m alright,” Mingyu mumbled, leaning in. “It didn’t hurt that much.”

The hairs on the back of Jihoon’s neck stood up as he retrieved his shirt. His entire body urged to turn around and rip Wonwoo to shreds, muscles in this arms bulging.

“Come here.” There was the faint sound of kissing behind Jihoon’s back.

Joshua paused. “Hoonie, aren’t you going to do something about that?”

Jihoon turned back to where Wonwoo and Mingyu were fanning over each other and sent Joshua a look. “Are you kidding? Am I supposed to give a shit?”

“Hoonie-”

“Ren!”

Class 13b was running track. Jihoon pulled the tall boy off the path and gripped his collar, pulling him down for a fiery kiss in front of the entire class.

Ren didn’t mind so much.

“Thanks handsome,” he winked when Jihoon finally let him go.

“Get moving or coach will scold you.” Jihoon didn’t resist smacking Ren’s butt as he passed before turning back to his beta. “See?” And with that he pulled his gym shirt back on and went inside.

“Oh… _kay_ ,” coach said slowly. “Hit the showers… I guess?”

 

* * *

 

[Gyugyu♥] So are you dating Ren?

[Jihoon] Will you ever stop texting me?

[Gyugyu♥] It’s just a question

[Jihoon] No, I’m not dating Ren. What’s it to you?

[Gyugyu♥] Just a question, sheesh you’re sensitive.

[Jihoon] Well, are you dating Wonwoo?

[Gyugyu♥] Yes…

[Jihoon] Does that mean you’ll finally leave me alone?

[Gyugyu♥] You have issues

[Jihoon] Fuck you.

[Gyugyu♥] So rude

[Jihoon] Do you want to stop texting me now? I have things to do.

[Gyugyu♥] Are you going on the class trip next week?

[Jihoon] OF COURSE I AM, DON’T YOU THINK IF I WASN’T GOING MY NAME WOULDN’T BE ON THE LIST?

[Gyugyu♥] No need to yell

[Jihoon] Well you’re so stupid I’m hoping that way you might understand.

[Gyugyu♥] Goodbye, Jihoon.

_Finally._

The class trip was the next Friday: 12A was going to a hot spring resort in the mountains for the weekend together. To _bond_. Another one of Principal Kim’s great ideas. Jihoon had long suspected that it was in order to frustrate him, and though his adopted uncle wouldn’t admit it, that was definitely the case. The Principal’s favourite hobby was frustrating his tiny nephew.

At the gates, just before they were leaving, alphas and omegas were saying their farewells.

“I’ll miss you,” Seungcheol whispered, pressing his forehead against Seungkwan’s. “So much.”

“You, too.”

“Don’t get into trouble while I’m gone.”

“I won’t.”

“Don’t hurt yourself, either.”

“I won’t.”

“Don’t get kidnapped.”

“How would I get kidnapped? Idiot Seungcheol.”

Seungcheol just laughed. “Don’t fall in love with anybody else while I’m gone, either. Winning your love was hard enough the first time.”

Seungkwan turned to where Mingyu was pretending not to sigh wantonly at the sight. The boy could only wish his alpha loved him like that.

“Kim Mingyu, please take your brother away before I kill him,” Seungkwan asked fervently.

Seungcheol laughed and cupped Seungkwan’s face for a final passionate kiss before running up into the bus. “Bye, babe!” he called as the bus drove off, hanging out of the window. “I love you! I’ll bring you back a souvenir!”

“Put on your seat belt, asshole!” Seungkwan yelled as they drove off.

Joshua and Jihoon couldn’t help but send each other looks. They loved Seungkwan – like a little brother – but in combination with his alpha the boy was just a little vomit-inducing.

With a busride that was seven hours long, the entirety of class 12A tried to pretend there was not a growing disturbance in the force emanating from the unbearably tiny alpha in the back corner. They sang songs and ate lunch, and Joshua tried to pretend he wasn’t very uncomfortable.

“Jihoon,” he whispered when he was sure nobody would be listening. “This is your chance to shape up.”

“Do you want to die?”

“Listen you talk a lot of shit, but you forget I’m your beta. I know you.”

“Then you know I plan to kill them.”

Joshua sighed and sat back. There was no sense to be talked into the chubby-cheeked boy. His beta would have to sit and deal with his mood.

For _seven hours_.

[Gyugyu♥] Stop glaring at the back of my head. It’s making everybody uncomfortable.

[Jihoon] For your information I’ve been playing flappy bird on my phone for an entire hour already. Thanks. You messed up what could have been my new high score.

Joshua closed his eyes. _Three more hours to go,_ he thought to himself in desperation. _Just three more hours of this bullshit._


	16. Bears Aren't as Scary as Jihoon with a Morning Mood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes on a nature hike. A black bear decides to attack Mingyu. An alpha intervenes.

The hot springs were really beautiful, secluded in the mountainside: on all sides the students were surrounded by the forest. There were indoor pools, outdoor pools, private pools – a great hall for them all to eat together in, but they were cruelly divided – omegas, betas and alphas all had their own hallways to sleep in.

It gave Joshua great relief to realize he wouldn’t have to sleep beside his alpha. As much as it was his job to protect him, he couldn’t handle the atmosphere much longer.

That first day the whole class ate together, and after that, most went for their first hot spring adventure together: Jihoon, however, curled up in the bed in the far corner of the alpha’s room and prepared himself for a sleep cycle.

Because he knew _damn_ well what would happen if he didn’t get eleven hours of sleep before some other alpha woke him up.

It was late at night when the other alphas returned to the room: they woke Jihoon up, making him grumpy, but silent as he turned over and tried to get back to sleep.

“Jihoon?” a whisper asked.

“What.”

“You’re hurting Mingyu’s feelings this way.”

“I swear to God Wonwoo I will break your entire face. Go to sleep.”

Wonwoo sat up a little. “Why do you have such anger issues?”

Jihoon sighed, pulling his pillow over his ear.

“He really, really wants to be your omega.”

“Let it go, Wonwoo,” Seungcheol said lowly. “…he’s not even a real alpha. Just let him be. Mingyu’s too good for him.”

Jihoon almost ripped out of his own skin.

“Do the two of you want to pipe it down? Some of us are trying to sleep here,” Jun grumbled.

“Jihoon, please. Mingyu is hurting.”

Jihoon had just pulled back the covers before three mobile phones went off.

_Gyugyu_ _♥_ _has created a new group chat._  
[Gyugyu♥] I can hear the three of you bickering through the wall. Shut up and go to sleep.

[Wonwoo Bear] Sorry, Mingyu.

[Cheolcolate] Sorry, goodnight.

_Jihoon has left this chat._

“You’re an ass,” Wonwoo whispered, switching off his phone.

“At least I’m not getting fucked in it.”

“Jihoon!” all the alphas hissed.

 

* * *

 

“You promised,” Joshua cooed. “An entire nature hike, and not a peep out of you!”

Jihoon sighed, slipping on his walking shoes. “Okay, okay. Who’s going?”

“Well Jeonghan wanted to come with me, but Jun won’t let Jeonghan go without him. Seungcheol lost a bet to Jun and is going too. Soonyoung wants to see the temple, so Wonwoo’s going as well. And where Wonwoo goes-”

“Message received, Captain Obvious,” Jihoon muttered. “Let’s get this over with.”

The troupe of them started out on their nature hike to the mountain temple, Jihoon at the back.

It’s one thing to hate walking, and nature. Entirely another to hate them and have short legs. Everybody else in their group was very tall.

After a couple of hours, they reached the temple: some went to take photos, others stood around the edges, admiring the foliage. Jihoon simply sat on a rock and waited for everybody to be done.

It happened slowly, and then all at once – at first it was an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, then the hairs on his neck and arms began to prick up. Then his sense of smell became heightened. And then before he knew it, he dashed into the forest.

His mind was shut down. All that was left over was instinct.

A single leap in the air flung him in front of a black bear’s sharp claw, dragging blood across his chest: the bear stopped, growling.

Jihoon skidded when he landed, turning to growl back: the overwhelming growl of an alpha male. The forest became rank with the smell of pine and acid, but it only served to agitate the bear further.

“Run,” Jihoon growled.

Mingyu slowly got to his feet, now that the bear was occupied.

“ _Run!_ ”

The entire affair was over before very long: the smell of the alpha had pulled the others in. Jihoon was placed on Joshua’s back as the group ran back to the hot springs resort.

The boy woke up somewhere half-way.

“Mingyu,” he said. The blood loss was going to his head. “Mingyu?”

“Safe,” Joshua whispered, leaping down the mountainside a little. “Mingyu’s safe.”

“Mingyu,” he whispered again.

The next time he woke up he was lying on a cot in the resort.

“Mingyu,” was the first word out of his mouth. The following words were: “ -is a son of a bitch, and the moment I get my claws on him I’ll-”

“Don’t,” Joshua said softly, his hand teetering through Jihoon’s hair. “He’s had a very bad time of it.”

“ _He’s_ had a bad time?”

“Shh, they’re sleeping.”

Jihoon pulled himself up a little to pry his eyes open and look at his beta. “Joshua…”

Joshua helped his alpha turn upright on the cot. “You’re very badly wounded,” he said softly. “Try not to move too much, okay?”

“Would anybody like to explain to me what exactly happened? I don’t remember too much.”

“A bear was on the attack for Mingyu. You rushed in and saved him on instinct. You brought the bear down, but he got you a few times, too. I carried you back and sewed you up. Mingyu couldn’t stop crying.”

Jihoon glanced around the room. Mingyu was slumped in a chair asleep, head resting on Wonwoo’s shoulder. He was asleep, too: Jeonghan and Jun were beside them in similar positions.

“Well, he’s stopped now,” Jihoon muttered sourly. “Why are they still here?”

“To wait to see if you were going to wake up. Nobody could be sure.”

“I’m awake.”

Mingyu twitched.

“God love me,” Jihoon mumbled.

The boy slowly woke up and came alive, almost like his body’s sleeping schedule was timed to Jihoon’s: within moments he was kneeling by the cot.

“Alpha! You’re awake! I’m so sorry! Are you okay? Does it hurt? Ooooooh I’m so sorry it hurts so much! Are you alright? Do you want a drink? Are you thirsty? Hungry?” The tears were starting to pool on Jihoon’s bandages. “Tell me what to do!”

“Shut up for a sec,” the alpha and beta answered.

Mingyu found a spot on Jihoon’s shoulder that wasn’t bandaged, pressing his face into it. “I thought you were going to die!”

Jihoon set his jaw, glaring at Joshua. He raised an eyebrow.

“Shhhhh, come on Mingyu,” Joshua cooed. “See, he’s alright. There’s no reason to cry anymore.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Mingyu sobbed. “I just – I thought I was going to lose you and- and!”

“Crying isn’t going to make him any better,” Joshua persuaded. “And you’ll just tire yourself out.”

“S-sorry.” It took him a moment, and then Mingyu was a little calmer, tears drying. “Okay, okay. I’m just so glad you’re alive, alpha.”

Jihoon pursed his lips. “Where’s my shirt?”

“Wasn’t much of a shirt after the bear got into you,” Joshua answered. “Besides, every other inch of you is covered in bandages.”

“Alpha, please look at me,” Mingyu whispered. “Just once.”

Later, the boy would put it down to a combination of blood loss, hormones and some kind of mental sickness, but for now he turned his head and looked Mingyu in the eye for the first time since he’d broken his jaw.

“I’m alive,” Jihoon told him.

Mingyu held his breath, unable to look away. “Alpha.”

“Stop crying.”

“ _Alpha._ ”

“I’m okay.”

“ _Alpha._ ”

“Did you hit your head?”

“ _Alpha._ ”

“Omega.”

“Alpha.” Mingyu pressed his face against the hook of Jihoon’s shoulder again.

“Omega.” Jihoon was just being silly now.

“Alpha. Alpha, alpha, alpha.”

“Would you cut it out? Stop being so worried. I’m awake, aren’t I?”

“Go to sleep,” Mingyu commanded. “Rest. Get well.”

Joshua shrugged. “He does have a point.”

“I’ll be here.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“Shut up and sleep,” Joshua intervened. “Before I knock your lights out.”


	17. Plot? What plot?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun is being... well, Jun. Hansol takes Minghao out on a date.

“This is a bad idea.”

“You don’t want to?”

“I want to…”

“Bad ideas are fun.” The alpha pulled his omega through the forest until they were well out of earshot of the resort: the thin boy was slammed against the trunk of a particularly thick tree, his alpha’s hands against the bark on either side of your face. “Now, what are you worried about?”

“Uh…”

Deep, sharp eyes had Jeonghan in a trance: as if they could stare down to his soul, and liked what they saw.

“J-Jihoon’s still asleep…”

“He’ll wake up. What are you looking at other alpha’s for?” Jun sidled up closer, his body touching Jeonghan’s from the thigh-up: they were stuck together, the alpha’s thick chest pressing up, catching the skinny omega between himself and the tree.

“W-worried… about Mingyu?” Jeonghan tried.

“What are you looking at Mingyu for?” Jun growled a little, a flirty smirk still in place. They both knew the extreme jealousy was a farce to bring out Jun’s dominant side, but it made Jeonghan’s heart beat harder nonetheless.

“Uh…”

“Look only at me,” Jun growled assertively, pulling his face even closer. The sound made his omega jitter. “Want only me. Love only me. Don’t even speak about other people. Or the big bad wolf will eat you up…”

Jeonghan closed his eyes, trembling. When Jun was like this, the smell of him was overwhelming, never mind how passionate he could get.

“I-I wouldn’t dream-”

“Even knowing I’m a bad wolf that likes to play with his little sheep, you came out here alone with me…” Jun leaned in so close that his lips skimmed over Jeonghan’s temple, sending shivers down the boy’s back. “Knowing how dangerous I could be…”

“I…”

Jun’s eyes were so sharp. So beautiful. A very look from him could make Jeonghan’s mouth water.

“Hold, very, still.”

Jun’s lips pressed against Jeonghan’s sleek neck as his hands pushed his shoulders back.

Jeonghan could do little more but moan a little and turn his head to the side, allowing his boyfriend more room to work.

And work he did.

His lips kissed and his tongue reveled in delight over Jeonghan’s skin: little nips with the edge of a tooth weren’t rare either. He worked down one side, and then down the other, but when he moved to the throat, Jeonghan lost all control.

He moaned. Loudly. “God, Jun, please,” he begged, his fingers curling in Jun’s shirt.

“Nope, not yet.”

“Jun,” his omega pleaded.

Jun’s hypnotic stare was back: in his gaze was all the intent in the world. Suddenly Jeonghan understood the precise meaning of the word _eyefuck_. Because Jeonghan was gripping onto his last dregs of sanity, the seams of his mind becoming unpicked by Jun’s eyes.

“My little omega should be patient,” he smirked, a little growl in the end of his sentence. He pushed his hips up once and then smirked some more. “I have something for you.”

“Me?”

“If you move,” Jun growled deeply, “I’ll make you cry.” Then, ever so slowly, Jun’s chest popped out and delved back to normal: the wave went through the rest of his body. Then again, and again: Jeonghan was frozen, watching his omega move his body.

And then, never taking his eyes off his omega, Jun began to undo his tie.

Jeonghan’s hands were shaking by the time the tie was on the forest floor: Jun’s body just kept moving as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, his muscles rippling under bronze skin.

“Oh, God,” Jeonghan whispered.

“Like what you see, babe?” Jun smirked and let a little seductive growl rip from the back of his throat: he danced closer, taking Jeonghan’s hands in his and letting him trail over his stomach. “Is it making your mouth water?”

Jeonghan let out a little whine. His scent would be in the forest for a while.

Jun smirked, letting his shirt fall from his shoulders.

Jeonghan fell to the dirt, his knees giving out under him.

“Oh? Getting dirty?” Jun smirked.

Jeonghan whined, his jaw slack, eyes pleading. “Please?” he begged from the ground. “Please, s-stop torturing me? Please, alpha, I… I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Jun let a terrific growl rip from his chest at the word _alpha_. Jeonghan rarely used it, preferring Jun’s name instead, but the word _alpha_ had so much desperation and pure need in it, it was unbearable.

Jun and Jeonghan were missing from the resort for a while.

 

* * *

 

“It’s kind of quiet when the others are all gone, huh,” Hansol murmured, curling his hand around Minghao’s. “Weird.”

Minghao nodded quickly.

“Want to go out and do something fun since they’re gone?”

Minghao cocked his head.

“A date, Haohao. I’m asking you out on a date.”

After a few moments it became clear that while Minghao had heard the term before, the contents of a date were still a little foreign to him.

“Oh, right. Uh… a date is when two people like each other… well, I love you, but that’s… hm. Anyway. Two people go out and do something fun together.

On the inside, Minghao wasn’t really satisfied with that. As long as he was with Hansol, _anything_ and literally _everything_ was something fun, because Hansol would be there.

“Like go and see a movie, or go somewhere you’ve never been before, or to a fancy restaurant to eat.” Hansol glanced at the boy. “Or maybe something a bit more private than a restaurant. Don’t worry babe, I’ll think of something.”

Minghao’s shoulders slumped a little. He wasn’t really sure what to expect. Every day was a date if he could spend it with Hansol, but that obviously wasn’t what he meant.

On Saturday he found out. Hansol coordinated their wardrobe together and then looked his omega in the eyes. “Hey, Haohao?”

The boy waited.

“I want to take you on a date, but… I might have gotten ahead of myself. There will be lots of new things for you. Being on a public bus… and other stuff. I know that must be really scary for you.

Minghao almost nodded. He had no idea what it would be like, but new situations weren’t his favourite thing. But then, Hansol would be there, so was there anything to fear?

Minghao picked up Hansol’s hand and pressed it against his own little chest, a question in his eyes.

“Yes, I will be with you the entire time. I’d never leave your side in a situation like that.”

Minghao smiled. Something in his chest warmed up, and he nodded.

“Really?”

He nodded again.

“If at any point it’s too much, tap my shoulder three times. Okay? And I’ll take you home immediately. Okay?”

Another nod.

The public bus was a difficult ride for Minghao. It was a huge tube full of people he didn’t know – loud people, with loud and rowdy kids – that shook and jostled the whole time, speeding down the road over bumps and potholes. He sat as straight as a pin in his chair, grasping Hansol’s hand so tightly he thought he might be breaking a few bones.

“Do you want to get off?” Hansol offered.

Minghao shook his head.

When they did finally get off at their destination, the boy’s tenacity earned him a happy kiss: Hansol’s face was alight with joy. “You did it, Haohao! You sat on a bus for twenty whole minutes!”

Minghao smiled unknowingly. Was this a special thing then?

Hansol pecked him again, overjoyed. “I’m so proud of you!”

The smile grew. Hansol was proud of him! Hansol – so strong and smart and genuinely good – was proud of _him_.

“Now, let’s wait a moment for your nerves to calm down, okay?” With Hansol stroking his hair so softly it wouldn’t take very long. “You did so well. That must have been very hard for you, baby. Thank you for persevering.” Hansol peppered the softest kisses on Minghao’s face – everywhere on his face. “You did so well. You don’t know how happy I am.”

After a few more minutes they walked into the building: within a few minutes Minghao was standing in front of a huge tank of water.

“It’s an aquarium,” Hansol said softly, holding his hand. “I thought this would be nice, so you could see all the fish and jellyfish and starfish and so on… we can sit here in silence as long as you like and just look at them. Is it okay?”

Minghao’s entire face began to brighten with joy. The fish’s scales threw off light in every colour under the sun: bubbles rose when they sped up. The rocks had moss and there was seaweed and there was _so much happening_ in the tank, and all of it was calm and happy.

“You like it?”

Minghao nodded happily, gripping Hansol’s hand. Yes, he liked it. He liked it a lot.

They walked around the aquarium: any time Minghao pointed at something, Hansol would tell him what kind of fish it was. It was literally the best day in Minghao’s life since the day they had met.

The bus ride back home wasn’t even that bad, either.


	18. Mingyu is Being a Cutie Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu and Joshua have a heart-to-heart. The boys come home to disturbing news.

Mingyu and Joshua slept in the room with Jihoon that night. Neither could bear to be away from him in his state – bandaged up, sewn up like a pair of jeans.

Mingyu looked over at Joshua in the darkness, whispering so as not to waken the alpha in the room. “Joshua?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Do you love Jihoon?”

Joshua smiled before opening his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, I love him a lot. He’s like a brother to me.”

Mingyu looked down a little. “I think… I love him too. A lot. But not like a brother.”

“I thought Wonwoo was your boyfriend.”

“He is.”

A moment of silence reigned.

“To be honest, even though it was Wonwoo’s idea… I don’t think he makes me happy. I like Wonwoo a lot. As a friend. It’s weird when we kiss. But… it’s even weirder when Jihoon kisses somebody else. It makes my stomach all funny inside and it makes my brain go blurry. I don’t like it when Jihoon’s kissing other people.”

“Mm,” Joshua answered, glancing at the alpha. No way to tell in the darkness if the boy was asleep.

“…do you know why he hates me so much?” Mingyu’s large eyes were desperate. “If you could tell me… drop a hint… help me… anything. You know this will affect him in the long run too. I just… I want him to be happy with me. I want to do things for him to make him happy.”

Joshua thought about it. “I don’t know if it’s possible.”

Something inside Mingyu’s chest broke.

“Jihoon’s such a stubborn boy. I think on the inside, he feels it’s a chore to hate you too. Well… lately it’s been weird. Before you got with Wonwoo you were really wearing him down.”

“I was?”

“Yeah. He yells and curses a lot, but you were actually making headway with him. At first when you were tailing him it made him angry – towards the end there he wasn’t even tired of it. Just kind of used to it. But then you went and got with Wonwoo.”

Mingyu gulped.

“But well, at least now we know he truly is your alpha. Did you say the way he bulleted for the bear so you wouldn’t get hurt? Pure instinct. His body doesn’t want to go without yours.”

Mingyu had to smile a little at that, pressing his face into his pillow. “Y-you think?”

Joshua smiled. “You’re really cute, you know that Mingyu?”

“Me?”

“You’re tall and handsome so it’s weird at first, but you’re really cute. Especially for Jihoon.”

“Does he like cute things?”

“Secretly, I think he does. He’d never admit it though. Don’t overdo it though. Just as you are is cute enough.”

Mingyu blushed and laughed, looking away. “I don’t really think I’m cute.”

Joshua’s mouth pulled into a hard line of disbelief. “Imagine Jihoon holding your hand,” he deadpanned.

For a moment there was no reaction, and then the omega blushed and hid his face in his pillow, his body wiggling under his sheets. “That would be soooooo nice,” he mumbled.

“…cute,” Joshua pointed out.

“I love him,” Mingyu whispered. There was a very delicate frailty in his voice. Mingyu’s personality was just a little shy, after all, and the boy could only take so much hurt. “Joshua, I love him so much. From the first moment we bumped into each other, I just…”

“I know. He’s a very strong alpha. The bond you share must be strong too.”

“It’s hard to be away from him. To not see him. Do you… Jihoon says it’s a mistake. Do you think that’s true? I mean even physically, we’re very different.”

Joshua looked Mingyu up and down. “Let’s see. You’re very tall and handsome, amazingly mature face, sometimes you look so mature you look like you’re in your twenties, and very skinny. Jihoon’s the size of a child, ripped, and has the face of a bunny-rabbit. Hm.”

“His face is perfect,” Mingyu pouted. “It’s so soft and plump and round and smooth and perfect. And his size isn’t a bad thing! Th-that time I hugged him… ah, it felt really nice.”

Joshua had to chuckle a little. The huge omega defending his alpha like that was actually cuter than when he squealed over him.

“Just… help me, please. I want to hold his hand. Or just even stay close to him without getting my face broken again.”

“I’ll try,” Joshua answered hesitantly.

“Do you know what would _really_ help your case?” a new voice intervened. Both boys froze in their cots. “If the two of you would shut up and let me sleep. It’s like you don’t know me at all, Joshua. Please, I’m exhausted.”

“Sorry, Hoonie,” Joshua whispered after an awkward moment. “Goodnight.”

“Night boys.”

Mingyu’s whole face lighted up. He said _boys_. Including Mingyu.

Joshua and Jihoon slept alright after that. Mingyu was left to daze the night away in happiness.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Mingyu had a job to do.

He stood with Wonwoo in one of the gardens awkwardly, waiting for an answer.

“Ah… I knew this was how it would end.” Wonwoo smiled lightly. “Don’t worry about it, Mingyu.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not doing this on purpose to hurt you or anything. But…”

“He’s your alpha. That’s a bond that… well, I remember how it was.” There was a moment of silence. “My omega passed away two years ago. She had a lung condition and the doctors couldn’t save her. So I know how hard this must be on you.”

Mingyu gulped, eyes starting to get wet. “God, Wonwoo. I’m so sorry. If I had known-”

“It’s not the kind of thing I tell other people,” Wonwoo answered, taking a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter. It’s okay, I’m not mad at you.”

“I really am sorry,” Mingyu sniffed unhappily. “I mean-”

“You’re cute Mingyu, but not _that_ cute,” Wonwoo grinned. “I’ll get over you.”

“We can still be friends?” the omega tried.

“I’d like that,” Wonwoo smiled. “Soonyoung would too. He wants to play tennis later.”

“I’m not that good at tennis.”

“Well I’m not going to try and beat you at basketball,” Wonwoo laughed. “So maybe this is a better match.”

Mingyu pouted. “Not even volleyball?”

“Selfish prick,” Wonwoo joked, rubbing his ex-boyfriend in the ribs. “Stop choosing sports that give you a huge advantage because of your height.”

“Swimming.”

“Kim Mingyu!”

 

* * *

 

The alphas were all at the front of the bus, straining to get back to their omegas. The weekend away had been pretty fun, but hard on those who had had to miss their other halves.

Seungcheol was all the way at the front, his whole body stretched forward to get off immediately.

Instead of a welcoming committee at the gates there was only the principal.

“Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jihoon. I need to speak to you in my office.”

“Sir, can I wait?” Seungcheol pleaded, hopping from one foot to the other. “I really need to see Seungkwan. I missed him so much I can barely-”

“This is about Seungkwan.”

There was a moment as the other students got off the bus where the boys all stood, staring at the Principal. The dark, grave look on his face. The dark circles and bags under his eyes. And when was the last time the principal wasn’t dressed to perfection? He had no blazer jacket, his tie was loose and his shirt was ruffled like he’d slept in it.

“If you’ll come this way.”

In the end, they all went: the principal’s office was full of boys.

“Listen. Seungkwan is gone.”

A moment of silence passed.

“Gone?” Jeonghan asked. “What do you mean, he’s _gone_?”

“Nobody can find him.”

The group remained silent. Well, this would be a problem, wouldn’t it?

“I was up all night trying to find him. So, you’ll excuse me if I look like shit. There’s nothing that worries me more than… well. He was nowhere to be found, and I searched everywhere. Literally. I scoured half the town.”

Jihoon took a deep breath. “I can smell him, though.”

“Yes. This note was found in the school administrator’s inbox about three hours ago.”

Jihoon, Seungcheol and Jeonghan poured over the note.

“Ransom,” Jeonghan read slowly, not believing his eyes. “Fifty _million_ US Dollars.”

Seungcheol pressed his nose to the note. “Damn it. I can only smell Seungkwan. What did they do, rub the note against his neck?”

“Jihoon,” Principal Kim said softly. “You’re the strongest alpha here. You have a very sensitive, keen nose. I was hoping…”

“I can’t smell _anything_ ,” Seungcheol protested.

“Because you’re hot-wired to recognize Seungkwan,” the principal reminded him. “Hoonie, please.”

Jihoon leaned in and took a whiff.

There was a chair he used to sit in when he was the smallest of little boys: a tall oak chair with a big purple cushion set in it. It was the chair he sat on when his father was teaching him his alphabet. The rug in that room – under the chair – was a large Persian thing of red and gold threads, intricate patterns woven into it all the way down to the tassels. It was his mother’s favourite rug, so it often smelled of her rosewater perfume.

That was the smell coming off the paper. The smell of the rug – dusty rosewater.

Then there was the smell of smoke – of freshly put-out birthday candles and burnt wax. And then the smell of wet clay.

The boy straightened out, gripping his head against the faint dizziness.

“I know where Seungkwan is,” he whispered. “And you’re not going to like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun du-duuuuun! A kidnapped Seungkwan! What will happen now?!
> 
> Please leave kudos/comments if you're enjoying this work! To have 1k people reading but only 100 kudos is a bit demotivating to be honest. Thank you so much to everybody who's been supporting me up until now though!
> 
> P.S. My twitter is @peppermintglow and I regularly post spoilers while I'm writing. Just in case anybody prefers to be killed slowly.


	19. Catacombs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small strike team goes out to retrieve Seungkwan, causing Jihoon to relive painful memories.

“Mingyu, Jeonghan, you stay here at school.”

The two omega’s jumped up. “No way!” Jeonghan cried. “He’s my friend too!”

“You’re an omega,” the principal reminded him. “How can Jun focus on the task at hand if he’s always looking out for you?”

Jeonghan and Mingyu looked at each other unhappily. Hansol and Minghao were behind them – neither of them could go, either, not to mention Seokmin was in a state of great distress and Jooheon was trying to get the boy to eat something.

“We need you to stay here and keep watch for anything else.”

Jeonghan looked up at Jun. “If you get hurt I’ll kill you,” he said plainly.

“I won’t be gone long.” Jun kissed his omega’s forehead.

Mingyu turned to Jihoon, hopeful for any kind of word, but the boy was busy fixing his mask and backpack.

Principal Kim, Seungcheol, Jun, Jihoon and Joshua were all outfitted in black: black slacks and tight black shirts with black ski masks. This was an extraction.

“You know, this wouldn’t be necessary if the Samsil group didn’t make so many enemies,” Jun complained, affixing his ski mask over his hair.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Seungcheol snapped.

“It means that these people obviously know you’re the heir and so they’ve taken _your_ omega in order to extort-”

“Well then they’re shit informed, because my family disowned me years ago,” Seungcheol answered, his tongue cracking like a whip. “Why do you think I don’t carry the Kim name? I didn’t approve of how the Samsil does business years ago and they kicked me out. My grandfather won’t even recognize me as his own anymore. So it’s bullshit either way.”

Jihoon sent Joshua a surprised glance.

_Well, I kind of like him a little better now,_ he thought. But this was information to be filed away for later processing.

“Do I really have to stay?” Mingyu asked desperately.

“Yes,” two alphas answered.

Jihoon was sheathing small knives all over his body: strapped to his chest, his back, his legs, as he spoke. “I can’t track their scent with your smell up my nose twenty-four-a-seven,” he reasoned. “It’s a hard enough scent to track as it is. Stay here.”

“Do you really need all those knives?” Jun asked, grimacing a little.

“Jihoon’s skills with knives are…” Everybody turned to the principal. “Well, let’s just say you’ll be a lucky kid if you get to see a demonstration.”

The sun died on the horizon, the last slivers of gold slipping down.

“We’ll leave in about twenty minutes,” the principal mumbled, pulling on black gloves. “Does anybody need to go to the bathroom before we leave?”

Joshua paused and then ran for it.

“Has everybody eaten?”

_Crunch, crunch, crunch._

“Seungcheol…”

“Just this last bag of chips,” the boy whined.

Hansol squeezed Minghao’s hand. “Bring him back safely, okay? Minghao was just starting to really warm up to him.”

Jihoon held Hansol’s eyes for a moment. “Hansol, can I speak to you alone?”

The younger boy turned to his omega. “Minghao, I have to go to another room for a moment. You have to stay here. Don’t be afraid. Okay?”

The boy with the curly hair breathed a moment before moving, slowly taking Jeonghan’s free hand. He nodded.

Jeonghan grinned, squeezing Minghao’s hand. The boy – however silent – was adorable, and had really grown on everybody. “Thanks for trusting me, Minghao.”

Hansol and Jihoon moved to a small back room.

“So?”

“Joshua already suspects, but I won’t be able to tell him, so I’m telling you now. Seungkwan’s being held in catacombs under the palace.”

Hansol froze.

It took Jihoon a moment. “It was how my parents first escaped the palace. There are three layers of catacombs that form a complex maze together, and I’ve only ever been in them once, but I would recognize the smell anywhere. Whoever it is that has Seungkwan is holding him under the old palace.”

“And you’re going to lead a son of the Samsil there?” Hansol hissed in surprise. “Won’t they instantly figure it out?”

“…there’s rumours here at school about where I came from. I can use that to my advantage. And blame the rest on my keen sense of smell.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“That’s why I’m telling you. I need you to keep up whatever farce I come up with. It’s imperative. Understand?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Thanks, Hansol.”

Ten minutes later, under the cover of darkness the small troupe of five men left the New School grounds, running towards the forest.

Seungcheol didn’t ask questions, at least not at first – his mind was on his omega. His claimed, precious, sassy omega.

A trait all ABOs shared, when in need, was their ability to run – they could practically fly over the ground, speeding to wherever they had to in order to help whoever was in need of assistance. For now Jihoon was at their head: it had been too long for Principal Kim since that dash in the forest to save the Prince, and Jihoon was the only one whose nose was strong enough to find his way.

Suddenly his steps faltered: the group trailing him in a V-shape stopped as the boy tripped.

“Alpha.” Joshua helped him up.

“It’s okay.” Jihoon gritted his teeth, sealing his emotions away behind a steel door. He stood and whipped his head towards the west, on the run again – after five more minutes he stopped with ease.

“It’s here.”

“What’s he talking about,” Seungcheol gruffed. “There’s nothing here but forest!”

“It’s here.”

“Jihoon… it’s been a long time. Maybe-”

The group’s doubts were unnecessary in the black of night: Jihoon sank to his knees. “Look. Sand.”

In the middle of the forest floor was a line of white, beachy sand.

“Sand? In the forest?”

“They covered up the entrance,” Jihoon whispered, ignoring his beta. “They must have changed part of the mountainside for it.”

Everybody waited to see what the little alpha would do.

He sniffed the sand, then stood and sniffed again. “Joshua. Give me a leg-up.”

In all confusion, the beta folded his hands and showed his alpha his palms: Jihoon took a few steps back then ran for it. One of his feet stepped in his beta’s palms: Joshua threw his arms into the air.

With a single tumble through the air Jihoon gripped a branch of a birch tree. Like something from a really bad batman movie, the branch moved slightly. The line of sand began to crack, and then slowly the earth began to fold away, showing a small mouth to a large clay cave.

“Good God,” the Principal remarked.

“Go.”

The others didn’t wait for more command than that: one by one they got on the ground and slid into the mouth of the cave: only Joshua waited for his alpha to follow.

The tiny boy flipped over the branch once, twice: and then with a precise vault threw himself towards the mouth of the cave.

He scraped by just before the mouth of the cave closed again.

“God, it stinks in here.”

Jun cracked out some glow sticks.

“These catacombs run for miles. At some points they merge with rivers and sewers to mask scents,” Jihoon answered, slowly creeping. “They run all the way to Seoul.”

“Tell me we don’t have to go all the way to Seoul,” Joshua whispered.

“No.” Jihoon’s body moved: knees bent, back slightly arched upwards, arms ready at his sides. “We’re going to Wonju.”

He offered no more explanation, but their pace was far slower now: there were plenty of forks in the catacombs where he needed to duck into each hallway to figure out where the smell was hardest.

“Principal,” Seungcheol whispered, knowing full well everybody could hear him. “How does Jihoon know this place?”

“…this is where we found him, five years ago.” Jihoon didn’t make even the smallest twitch to give away he was listening: Jun, however, was eavesdropping. “Or rather, in the forest, at the mouth of the cave. His mother bore him illegitimately for an alpha that was not her own. She was trying to hide him. She fell into this maze of catacombs and broke her neck. Jihoon spent five days wandering here, lost. When he finally found daylight, I was on a hunting trip and took him up.”

Principal Kim was just as smooth a liar as Jihoon could be.

“Ah, so that’s the real story… I thought he was raised by hippos in India,” Jun whispered.

“There are no hippos in India, stupid,” Seungcheol answered.

“Sh,” a short command came. The group stopped.

“What-”

“Sh.”

There was the rushing of water – a river somewhere nearby, but that sound had been present for a while now. Slowly, the others heard it too.

Footsteps. Heavy footsteps. Coming this way.

Jihoon pulled out a knife, and readied his still-bandaged body for a fight.


	20. Samsil Group Industries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungkwan is rescued. The kidnappers' identity is revealed.

Nobody saw Jihoon’s body move: one moment they were waiting for guards to come around the corner, the next two men were on the ground, dead.

Jihoon retrieved the small knifes: one had stuck in its victim’s throat but the other had gone right through, splattering blood on the wall.

“…well, shit,” Jun whispered.

“Quickly, help me dump the bodies in the river before somebody finds them missing.”

They were very near a mouth that opened up to a river: quickly, the dead bodies were dumped in the water.

From that point on, the group trailed single-file, sneaking through the tunnels with absolute silence until suddenly, Seungcheol rushed forward, sniffing loudly.

Jihoon breathed a sigh of relief. Any further, and they would have realized Jihoon knew how to get to the palace through catacombs. But now that Seungcheol could smell his omega, he was taking head: they all followed him wordlessly.

It took a few minutes for Jihoon to get suspicious: hairs on his arms raised a little. Where were all the other guards? The tunnels were becoming wider, and the scent of Seungkwan was strong, but they hadn’t encountered another patrol.

Jihoon’s entire body whirled around with a yelp.

Forty to fifty men, dressed in identical black uniforms, stood behind the small group of five. Creeping up on them. Heavy semi-automatic weaponry in their arms.

Jihoon’s tiny body crouched low. “You guys go,” he told them. “I’ll handle this.”

The guards laughed: Jun mumbled.

“There’s like a hundred of them.”

“I’ve got it.”

Joshua braced himself beside his alpha. If this is where they were to die – their final resting place – then so be it.

“Go.”

Seungcheol couldn’t be stopped: the two guards outside the door were dealt with far too quickly by the principal and Jun: Seungcheol burst into the room.

Seungkwan was in the middle of the small room – little more than a utility closet – on a chair. Asleep. Hands and feet bound. Tape across his mouth. There was a tiny cut in his cheek.

“Careful,” Jun whispered. “Booby-traps.”

There was only one booby-trap, and with a simple _bang_ the heat sensor was disabled.

“What?” Principal Kim asked, putting his revolver back into his pocket. “You thought I’d come out without a gun?”

“You, sir, are a scary man.”

Seungcheol burst forth, making quick work of the ropes around Seungkwan’s ankles. “Baby,” he whispered, trying to rouse the boy. “Seungkwan. Omega.”

Seungkwan woke up groggily: in a few seconds he was staring with wide eyes, fidgeting on his chair.

“Sh,” Seungcheol hushed, his fingers scratching at the corner of tape. “You _must_ be quiet.” Then in a flash, the tape was undone.

The moment Seungkwan’s arms were free, they were around his alpha: the boy didn’t seem entirely capable of anything else for now. Soon he was lodged on Seungcheol’s back, gripping on for dear life.

“Back the way we came?”

There was no other choice – no other way out of the maze, if they didn’t have Jihoon. If he was still alive.

Joshua and Jihoon were crouched down by a figure in black on the floor. Both of them were a little ruffled and worse for wear, but they weren’t among the dozens of bodies on the ground.

“Guys.”

Jihoon took the lead instantly, and the group set off on a run: this time they were much faster to exit than to enter. Daylight was breaking by the time they hit the forest, but they didn’t stop until they were at the school grounds.

Seungcheol didn’t bother noticing anybody: he took Seungkwan to the nurse’s office and collapsed on a cot with him safely in his arms. Jeonghan received Jun with open arms: the alpha was exhausted and hauled off to bed with ease.

Principal Kim gave Jihoon’s shoulder a squeeze before retiring to his own quarters: as for Joshua and Jihoon, they barely made it to their dorm before clocking out cold on the floor.

Nobody would mention afterwards how Mingyu picked his alpha up and put him in bed.

 

* * *

 

“Shhhhh, Seungkwannie. I’m here now. Alpha’s here now.”

He simply held the little omega in his arms, on the cot: Seungkwan’s tears just kept rolling from the moment he’d woken up.

It became evident very soon that Seungkwan’s body was full of drugs, and it would take a while for those drugs to wear off in his body. Seungcheol sat with him, helping him to drink water when his body wouldn’t obey him, and feeding him a little too. It was Tuesday morning by the time the boy could speak.

“D-Drugs,” he said softly.

“I know,” Seungcheol answered him, gently stroking his hair back. “You don’t have to worry about it anymore. Alpha’s here. I’ll protect you.”

Seungkwan’s little face got buried in Seungcheol’s neck: the scent of the alpha brought the boy much comfort, stilling his heartbeat to a healthy pace. “…missed you.”

Seungcheol chuckled a little, holding his omega even tighter to his chest. “I missed you too.”

“…kidnapped.”

The boy was still working towards full sentences.

“I know. That will never happen again. Hm? I saved you.” He kissed Seungkwan’s forehead. “I’m sorry. Because I was gone you got hurt. That won’t happen again. I’ll be here to protect you forever. I’m not leaving you again. You’re not getting hurt because of me again.”

“Hmm.” The words comforted Seungkwan.

Another few hours, and Seungkwan’s sleepy face smiled up at his alpha. “I love you.”

Seungcheol’s heart almost broke a little. It was his fault – _his fault_ – that anything had happened to Seungkwan. If Seungcheol hadn’t existed his little omega would never have been hurt like this, kidnapped, drugged to the point where he couldn’t speak. And yet that same sassy little boy was here, sleepy, telling him he _loved_ him.

“I love you too, baby. Forever and always. No matter what happens.”

“Thank you for rescuing me.”

“Don’t thank me,” Seungcheol whispered, his voice breaking. “It’s my fault you were-”

The younger boy had seen this coming, clasping a hand over his alpha’s mouth. “No. Sh. It’s okay now. We’re together again now. Let’s not talk about it anymore.” Slowly, the hand moved away again. “I… did… did anything happen for you? While you were at the resort?”

The hot springs seemed like a lifetime ago. “What? No, why?”

Seungkwan bit his lip. “I don’t like being insecure.”

“What are you insecure about?” Seungcheol asked in surprise, gripping Seungkwan’s waist more.

“…us.”

“ _Why?_ ”

“…didn’t see you for three days…”

“So?”

“…you haven’t kissed me yet.”

Seungcheol smiled. Only Seungkwan could go without his alpha for three days, get kidnapped, hurt and drugged, and then worry about not being kissed.

“Come here, handsome,” he whispered. “I’ll kiss you until you see stars.”

 

* * *

 

“…I’m sorry, I’m just really curious,” Jun said.

They were all in the nurse’s office – Seungcheol wouldn’t leave his omega, and that omega was very asleep.

“There were _at least_ thirty men with guns, so what happened?” Seungcheol’s voice was suspicious.

Joshua bit his lip. He hated dishing on Jihoon, but he was also brimming with the chance to gossip. “Oh my God, it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”

“What?”

“Jihoon’s Alpha power.”

“Oh.” Seungcheol obviously hadn’t thought of that. “What is it?”

“…it’s _everything,_ ” Joshua whispered. “He controlled a column of fire and a hurricane at the same time. It swept through them so fast I couldn’t believe it. He commanded _lightning_ inside a _cave_. He held up certain guards and contorted their bodies with his _mind_ alone.”

“Oh, please,” Jun scoffed.

Joshua pulled one of the semi-automatic weapons from his bag they had taken. “Here.”

It was bent a little. In other words, the rifle was curled into a pretty pretzel shape.

The boys inspected the weapon for a long time: there was no other alternative explanation. Jihoon could contort metal with his mind.

The small alpha in question just sat by his best friend, sleeping in the cot, ignoring the fawning his friends were doing over the rifle.

“If you’re quite done,” he eventually sighed. “I don’t like being the hero of the day.”

Seungcheol swallowed. “I owe you a debt of gratitude, Jihoon. You helped save my omega.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Bu-”

“I helped save my best friend.”

A silence held in the room as Jihoon stood up and walked to Seungcheol. “Are you really at odds with the Samsil Group?”

“…there’s a lot about the Samsil Group people don’t know,” Seungcheol said darkly, looking away. “When I found out, I couldn’t… _bear_ … to be affiliated with them.”

Jihoon pulled paper from inside his jacket pocket. “Then… here. I found this on one of the guards’ person. I think you have more interest in it than I do.”

Seungcheol unfolded the paper. It was a pay slip, made out to a man with a Russian name.

The employer was Samsil Group Industries.


	21. "I love Choi Hansol."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon does not kill Mingyu. Minghao is savage.

Jihoon’s fingers tickled over the piano’s keys like he was born to it. He’d been there for five hours, in the middle of the night. It gave him great peace of mind to be in the conservatory again after all this time and all the drama.

He did some of his best thinking at 3 AM.

Seungcheol had long rejected the Samsil Group, and this changed a lot for the throneless Prince. Seungcheol was aware of the atrocities that Kim Samsil was capable of. The things he did. Was still doing. And Seungcheol had deemed them wrong and gone back on his family for it.

Jihoon had sworn to kill everybody in Samsil’s bloodline, but that might no longer be necessary. He was feeling a peculiar leniency towards Seungcheol now. Anybody willing to give up such a huge inheritance for the sake of doing the right thing by the Samsil Group’s victims… were they not worthy of mercy and even gratitude from him?

The last note reverberated in the air solemnly.

“…that was beautiful,” a whisper told him.

“What are you doing here?” Jihoon didn’t look away from his self-written sheet music.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Internal alpha compass,” the boy answered, slowly walking up to sit on the stage beside the piano. “…can you play it again?”

Jihoon was tired – mentally, physically – too tired to fight. His fingers struck the piano forte again to play the song.

Mingyu simply sat on the stage, curled up happily with his head on his knees, listening to the complex melody Jihoon had created. When it was over, the alpha didn’t spare time for praise or interruption: he changed his papers and played another.

Mingyu sat through five melodies, a sleepy smile on his face, eyes closed: Jihoon hadn’t guessed him to be a lover of music, never mind classical. The tall boy was more than happy to sit and listen for however long it might take.

Jihoon’s fingers rested on the keys for a moment. “It’ll be dawn soon,” he said softly. “You should get back to the dorms.”

“One more, please?”

“Not tonight.”

The two sat for a moment: one staring at the piano, the other staring at the pianist.

“Can… can I come listen again some other time?”

Jihoon nodded once. “Yeah, if you don’t speak.”

Mingyu sat up in surprise: he hadn’t expected his alpha to agree to that. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Jihoon gathered his papers up, filing them away, and got up to go back to his dorm.

“Alpha!”

His hand lingered on the doorknob. He wasn’t sure where this mellowing had come from, but he had a horrible feeling in his gut it wasn’t going to leave any time soon.

“…I love you. Thanks for coming back safely.”

Jihoon pushed through the door and left the conservatory.

 

* * *

 

That day the temperature finally spiked: March and April had been uncommonly cold but summer was finally on its way. Some of the most hopeful students dusted off their summer uniforms for a day of sunlight and warmth, and they weren’t disappointed. May turned out to be a warm month, in more ways than one.

It surprised not just their immediate friends but most of the student body to find that Jihoon and Mingyu were _spending time together._

Closer observation of the situation was that Jihoon tolerated Mingyu’s presence at lunch, made no comment when Mingyu followed him to class and didn’t punch his lights out when he plunked next to Jihoon in the library. That was really as far as their relationship went.

Except at night.

Nights at the conservatory were Mingyu’s favourite thing in the world, and they quickly became one of Jihoon’s favourites as well. The alpha was given the time he needed for peaceful thinking, playing the piano – even if he spent hours just writing sheet music Mingyu was true to his word, not speaking even once until light hit the East window panes, signaling that their time was up.

There was only one speck on the vision of peace and prosperity that was the group at New School, and that was the bullying.

While Ren’s constant jabs had taken on an almost endearing affect – nothing to make Jihoon kiss him again, but enough to make Jihoon not want to break his face – the real problem was a small alpha male named Taemin from Hansol’s class.

“Here we are again,” Taemin cooed at dinner. “Hansol and his little _freak_.”

“Shove off,” the entire table chorused.

Hansol simply squeezed his omega’s hand.

“Hansol, I don’t know how you even bother with him. You can’t even tell how he feels. _If_ he feels anything. I doubt it though. He’s a freak, you’re a freak – he could never actually like you. Huh, freak? Secretly you hate him right?”

Suddenly, Minghao stood, his chair scraping across the floor.

“I love Choi Hansol.”

The entire school seemed to stop to turn and drop their jaws at the curly-haired boy, students and teachers alike. Even the principal. Especially the principal.

“So how about you take your fucking business elsewhere before I break your face and end your miserable stay here on this earth?”

If a declaration of love had shocked the New School, this outburst overwhelmed them.

Minghao took a step forward: Taemin, a very small fourteen-year-old, flinched and seemed to shrink a little.

“Get out of my _sight_.”

“Y-you really are a freak!” Taemin yelled, dropping his tray in shock. Within seconds he was heading for the door.

“Yeah, you _keep_ running boy,” Minghao called after him. “You keep your ass running out of here!” Once the boy was out of sight Minghao plonked back down on his seat, taking Hansol’s hand again as if nothing had happened, his other hand moving to grab a bite to eat.

Seokmin was the first to speak. “Uh, Minghao?”

The boy looked up – the same innocent look he’d worn for months on end. As if he hadn’t just spoken for the first time in years.

“Who taught you language like that?” Hansol asked, shocked and a little affronted. “It certainly wasn’t me!”

The boy pointed at Jooheon, who held up his hands. “I did nothing of the sort.”

“Come with me.” Hansol took Minghao out of the cafeteria before anybody could really make more sense of the situation: once they were alone he spun the omega to the wall. “Minghao.”

Minghao’s entire face was innocence and surprise.

“Did… Did you just say… you loved me?”

Minghao’s expression cleared to a warm smile. “I love Choi Hansol,” he repeated.

It earned him a happy, passionate kiss: the alpha couldn’t keep it up, he was smiling so broadly. “Say it again! Please say it again. I want to hear it.”

“I love Choi Hansol. I love you.”

Hansol’s eyes closed as he gently pressed his forehead to Minghao’s. “Do you… even know… what you’re saying right now?”

“I want to be with you. Forever.”

Tears dripped down Hansol’s cheeks: Minghao gently kissed them away.

“Did I make you sad?”

“No,” Hansol beamed, tears still brimming. “No, Minghao. I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. I thought… I thought you might never speak. That you would never tell me something like that.”

“I love you, Hansol. You’re good to me. You make me happy. You make me safe.”

“Yes, baby.” Hansol couldn’t resist another kiss: happy, passionate and a little greedy. “Always.”

“Hansol…” Minghao took a deep breath. “I want you to mark me.”

Hansol jerked a little. “What? Do you know what you’re saying?”

“I was mute, not stupid.”

“Watch that sass of yours. You’ve been hanging out with Seungkwan too much.”

“I want you to mark me.”

“That’s a very serious commitment,” Hansol answered, worriedly. “You’d be forever tied to me. You wouldn’t ever be able to… be… with anybody else-”

“I don’t want anybody else. I love you.” Minghao’s usually happy, care-free expression turned a little sad. “Unless, _you_ want somebody else…”

“Only Haohao,” Hansol reassured him. “As long as I have you, who else do I need? Come on.” Hansol led his omega back to their dormitory and sat him down on the bed. “You’re sure?”

Minghao nodded.

Hansol closed his eyes and gently leaned in to press his nose in his omega’s neck. The more of Minghao he smelled, the more he began to exude his scent as well, until he was simply enveloped in the smell of his omega.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” came the reply.

“Be mine.”

“Always.”

Without more ado, Hansol took up a small knife from underneath his pillow, making a small cut in his palm. “This will sting,” he warned. It almost made him sad to see that Minghao didn’t even flinch at the tiny cut he made.

The two boys clasped their hands together, blood mixing.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

The two boys kissed deeply.

That night, each went to bed with the other’s name written in the universe’s own swirly letters across their chests, tattooed for all of eternity.


	22. Before It's Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon becomes confused in the mess between his mind and his heart, venting his frustrations musically. Mingyu knows his alphabet and ties knots.

[Jihoon] I’m going to the conservatory.

It was possibly the first time Jihoon ever willingly spoke to Mingyu first.

[Gyugyu♥] I’m coming.

Jihoon appreciated that Mingyu didn’t point it out. Nowadays it just felt weird to sit at the piano alone.

Mingyu had made a cozy corner for himself over the past few weeks: he sat on a pile of cushions in the middle of the stage, a small tent of blankets made up around him like a den. When he got there today there was a flask of hot tea there, Jihoon already at the ivory.

Mingyu almost wanted to ask, but then thought better of it – after all, he was not to speak and he had been doing so well – simply sitting down and drinking some tea.

After two tunes Jihoon moved – got down and sat across from Mingyu, empty sheets in his hands.

It fascinated Mingyu to watch Jihoon work – from memory he could remember all the notes, the pauses, leaps – anything and everything.

Jihoon had his own cup for tea, too. They just sat in silence together as Jihoon scribbled away. Sometimes he got frustrated with himself, sometimes he giggled to himself. Mingyu never asked why or what was up: he was so happy to be with his alpha, he wasn’t going to jinx it.

Eventually Jihoon took his place at the piano. The introduction to the song was a somber, wistful tune. Then for the first time with Mingyu in the room, he began to sing.

_“I’m confused,_  
_everywhere I look, I see you,_  
 _face bemused,_  
 _my mind short-circuits:_  
 _why do I feel like this with you?”_

Mingyu sat, slack-jawed. He didn’t know Jihoon could sing.

The boy took a deep breath, and then the chorus came.

_“Why do your eyes twinkle like stars?_  
_Why does the world not seem to care?_  
 _Why does my heart beat in time with yours?_  
 _And your scent sink into my pores?_  
 _I’m filled with love and rage and hate,_  
 _gotta save myself before it’s too late_  
 _and I fall for you, and I fall for you,_  
 _Mingyu.”_

There was more – Mingyu had watched him pen more than a verse and a chorus – but the boy’s fingers stopped there a moment before he sang acapella.

“ _I’m filled with love and rage and hate,_  
_gotta save myself before it’s too late_  
 _and I fall for you, and I fall for you,_  
 _Mingyu.”_

The boy looked down at the piano keys for a moment and then up at Mingyu. He wasn’t sure what kind of expression he had. He thought one of hopelessness, but he couldn’t be sure.

Mingyu got up from where he sat and slowly sat down on the piano stool next to the tiny alpha. His fingers moved over the keys in a small, easy tune.

“A, B, C, D, E, F, G,” he muttered awkwardly to the notes he played. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

Jihoon almost smiled, mimicking Mingyu’s motions. “H, I, J, K, L M N O P, do you think it’s that easy?”

“Q R S T U V, explain it, to me?”

“W X Y and Z – I don’t know, they don’t agree: heart and brain are uneasy.”

They sat in silence for a while.

“Do you mind if I play the song again?”

“I’d like that.”

The rest of Jihoon’s song went along the same lines – a discord between heart and mind as he struggled through his confusion surrounding the tall boy beside him.

He played it over and over, many times, until the tune was stuck in the omega’s head: sometimes when he sang, Jihoon was angry – others sad – others light as a feather. Any way he sang, it didn’t matter: his voice was beautiful, filling the conservatory with music of the richest, purest kind.

“… _and I fall for you, and I fall for you, Mingyu.”_

By then Mingyu had returned to his cushions and hot tea.

“It’s already five o’ clock,” Jihoon said softly, looking up at the windows. “Time to go back to normal life.”

“Normal life?”

“Being here at nighttime is… like being in another world. Like maybe in some parallel universe, this is meant to be.”

“Maybe it’s meant to be in this universe.”

“It’s not.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s not,” Jihoon repeated, shuffling away his papers and closing the piano. “We’d better hurry if we want to get back to the dorm before anybody misses us.”

They walked back together, as per usual: where Mingyu turned off to the omega dorms they both stopped.

“What’s the title? Of that song?”

“Before It’s Too Late. Why?”

“...no reason,” Mingyu answered with a smile. “See you at homeroom.”

“Yeah.”

It was the closest to _goodbye_ the alpha had ever gotten: he waited at the end of the hallway until Mingyu had closed the door behind him.

“Where were you?”

Joshua could be so much like a mom sometimes: he was already fully dressed, hair combed back, foot tapping as he waited for his alpha.

“So early in the morning, when normally you can’t be roused?”

“It’s Wednesday,” Jihoon answered. “Pancakes and Bacon day. The smell of bacon woke me up. Had to go down for a closer look. Throw me my pants, huh?”

“At five thirty AM?”

“Shhhhhh, Ren’s sleeping and I don’t really want to wake him up.”

Joshua gave Jihoon the once-over. “Well, you look okay. Except for the dark circles.”

“I haven’t been sleeping right.”

The two of them sat down for an hour or so – just a respectable amount of time before going to breakfast – before Jihoon finally stopped fumbling nervously and got up to grab his shoes.

“I wonder why that is, not sleeping well,” Joshua mused as Jihoon got dressed. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with your omega, now would it?”

Jihoon didn’t bother putting much of a knot in his tie: he just twisted it round. “Are you coming or not?”

Joshua sighed and followed: half-way down the stairs, Jihoon stopped. “Joshua, can you do me a favour?”

“Sure.”

“…go to breakfast by yourself? I uh… have something I need to do. I’ll meet you in the cafeteria. Okay?”

Joshua’s stomach heaved uneasily until he noticed exactly where on the stairs they had stopped. Just by the omega dorms. “…okay, Jihoon. Make it snappy, though.”

Joshua walked on: Jihoon waited by the end of the omega dorm hallway, antsy, before taking a deep breath and moving to stand right outside dorm 105b. It made him a little sad to look at the number on the door – it had been his safe haven once, and now he wasn’t allowed inside anymore.

“…then I said to him – oh, Jihoon!” Seungkwan stared in surprise, Seokmin right behind him. “What’s up Hoonie?”

“I’m here for Mingyu,” came the answer after a moment of silence.

“He’s still in the shower, he’ll be out soon,” Seokmin promised. “Is… it… okay if we go on ahead to breakfast?”

“Sure.”

Jihoon pretended the two boys didn’t gossip to each other on the way out. They left the door open: nobody else was still in the dorm except Mingyu, so Jihoon took a risk and stepped inside, closing the door.

Mingyu was humming in the shower. The same tune Jihoon had been singing that night. It made the boy smile.

Mingyu walked out in pants and a shirt, freezing at the sight of the alpha.

Jihoon froze, too. “Want me to leave?”

“No! No.” Mingyu quickly did up the rest of his buttons, moving to grab his tie and blazer. “Why… uh… are you here?”

“God knows.”

That made Mingyu bite his lip a little as he sat down to put on his shoes before placing a windsor knot in his tie.

“My bed,” Jihoon commented.

“Yeah. Smelled of you too, for the first week or so.”

“Good, or bad?”

“Good.”

Slowly – very slowly, as if part of him was trying to stop himself – Jihoon sat down on his old bed, picked up Mingyu’s pillow and pressed it against his neck for a moment before putting it back in place and getting up.

“Hungry?”

“Starving. But…” Mingyu leaned down, pulling Jihoon’s tie off before tying it for him in a perfect knot under his collar. “There, better.”

It took Jihoon a moment to deliberate whether to thank Mingyu or not. He decided against, for now. “Pancake day,” he commented. “You take much longer they’ll be out of maple syrup.”

Mingyu laughed and tugged his blazer on, following his alpha out of the room. Happily trailing like a puppy on cloud nine, Mingyu’s hand gripped Jihoon’s sleeve as they walked.

Safe to say they made a ruckus, walking to their table at breakfast together.


	23. Puppy Syndrome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu is a puppy.

“Guys!” Chan, the freshman in dorm 105b – a quiet but kind-looking and very sporty boy – ran up to the breakfast table, plonking down. “Did you hear about Hansol and Hao?”

“No, what?”

“They’re _marked._ ”

“What?!” Everybody leaned in to the boy, lathering his pancakes in syrup.

“Yep, big swirly letters right across their chests. I went to talk to him about going on the gymnastics team and he wasn’t wearing a shirt.”

“Wow,” Jeonghan sighed, gripping Jun’s hand a little. “I didn’t expect that, so soon… I mean, Minghao only just _spoke_.”

“But that’s how it is.”

Seungkwan bit his lip, rejecting the pancake his alpha tried to feed him. “Well, that’s nothing. Want to know the juicy piece of gossip _I’ve_ got?”

“Is it juicier than a marking?” Seokmin asked, disinterested.

“Way juicier.”

Everybody perked up, looking at the boy.

He enjoyed the attention, happily shuffling on the lap he was perched upon. “Oh, it’s so good, I almost don’t want to tell you guys.”

“Tell us!” Jeonghan demanded, eyes twinkling. If anybody liked school gossip, it was Jeonghan.

Seungkwan bit his lip, face curling into a huge grin before he burst out. “Mingyu was out all night!”

Everybody’s gaze shifted to Mingyu, frozen in his seat.

“And then suddenly this morning, Jihoon came to the dorm to _pick him up._ ”

“Seungkwan, you’re real fuckin’ loud,” Jihoon grumped.

“…Jihoon was out all night too,” Joshua added suspiciously.

“ _WHAT?”_ Seungcheol burst. “You two?!”

Mingyu sat there, blushing, heavily embarrassed – but with a happy smile on his face. He was like a puppy who was sneaked into the puppy treats bag, but was glowing with pride.

Then suddenly Jihoon stabbed his stack of pancakes with his knife, forcing everybody to be deadly silent.

“Yeah, we were together.” The black look he threw across the table made everybody flinch. “Any of you have a problem with that?”

Seungcheol gritted his teeth. “Mingyu is my b-”

“Boyfriend.”

“What?”

“Mingyu is my boyfriend. Do you want to fight me about it?” the little alpha snarled.

“No, not really.” Seungcheol backed down pretty quickly, gripping Seungkwan on his lap. “Uh… congratulations.”

Mingyu’s face was a big, glowing tomato of happiness.

Jihoon could only stand so many congratulations after his smart-ass mouth had gotten the best of him: once he’d finished most of his pancakes he slid his plate towards Mingyu. “Here. I’m not hungry anymore.”

“Wait, hyung!” Mingyu quickly hurried out after his alpha exited the cafeteria. Luckily for both of them, the hallway was deserted. “Did you mean that? What you said back there?”

“No.” Jihoon turned to see Mingyu’s broken expression and sighed, annoyed. “Yes. No. Maybe.” The boy leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as he rested his head. “I don’t know.”

“Do you want to think about it?”

“No, I don’t want to think about it at all!”

Mingyu slipped into a whine under the duress of the alpha.

Jihoon growled to himself, a fist thumping the wall behind him angrily. “I don’t want to feel this way. I don’t want any of this.”

Mingyu let out another whine, like a dog being kicked: when the alpha opened his eyes, it was all too visible how miserable his omega was. The boy was bent over a little, his face in the most broken expression Jihoon had ever seen on a person. Like he was in physical pain. Like he was being publicly shamed for his bond. His hands were shaking and his eyes were closed shut.

“Mingyu.”

“I’m sorry,” the boy managed to croak out. “I don’t mean to be something bad to you.”

Something inside Jihoon broke down like a derailed train pile-up. It wasn’t Mingyu’s fault. None of it was Mingyu’s fault. No matter what kind of bad blood Mingyu had running in his veins, it wasn’t his fault that his parents and grandparents were psychotic killers. And Jihoon’s hatred for his family was _hurting him_.

Something inside the boy flared. Call it a primal instinct – Jihoon certainly would.

“Mingyu,” he repeated.

“I’m sorry.” Mingyu crouched down into a little ball in front of his alpha. “I-I’ll do anything. Please don’t…”

“Mingyu.”

The tall boy looked up sadly.

“…yes.”

“What?”

“Yes, I meant it.”

It took Mingyu a moment, then he was on his feet again. “Really?” he sniffed. “Like… like Jeonghan and Jun?”

Jihoon snorted. “Definitely _not_ like Jeonghan and Jun.”

“What then?”

“This…” Jihoon pointed to Mingyu and them himself a few times. “Is… weird. For me.”

He whined again. “I don’t mean to be weird.”

“Not you, idiot. This. Us.”

Mingyu bit his lip.

“So… slow?”

“You know, you’re really not very good at communicating.”

“You wanna fight about it?”

“Why are you always ready to fight, fisticuffs?” Mingyu stood and straightened a little. “But… slow is good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

“Can I-… no, never mind.”

“…want to walk to class together?”

Watching them was a sight to behold: Jihoon simply walked down the hallways as he normally would. It was Mingyu – the gangly tall puppy-dog boy attached to his sleeve that made it a sight to see. He was radiant with the smile on his face, happily trotting after his alpha wherever he went.

Mingyu’s seat was far away, in the middle of class: to make up for it, Jihoon sat on his desk before the bell went.

“So, you liked it? The song, I mean.” Jihoon’s eyes were glued to his hands.

Mingyu nodded happily. “It was really good. I didn’t know you could sing.”

“Tell anybody else, and you’re a dead man.”

“Yes, sir!” The adorable omega saluted cutely. “It was really nice though. Do you have lyrics to any of your other songs?”

“Yeah.”

“You should sing them all.”

“You think?”

“I’d like it a lot.”

Jihoon glanced up at his omega. “Maybe someday. I think we should stop going to the conservatory for now.”

“Why?!”

“You’re not getting any sleep.”

“Neither are you.”

“That’s not the point.”

“That’s exactly the point.”

The two glared at each other before Mingyu folded his arms poutily, staring straight at the black board. “If you’re not sleeping, I’m not sleeping either. That’s that.”

Jihoon paused for a moment before getting off Mingyu’s desk.

“What are you-”

The blackboard was made of three parts – a middle board and a board on either side that could swing on a hinge, more blackboard surface on the backsides.

“What are you doing behind there?” the omega whined.

“I’m making a drawing. Shush.”

A few moments later the boy ducked back into the classroom and perched on Mingyu’s desk again. “Honestly, sitting on your desk is a pain.”

“Why?”

The boy swung his legs demonstratively. “I can’t reach the ground,” he sulked.

Mingyu just grinned happily. “That’s okay, it’s cute.”

“Excuse me?”

“What?”

“I’m not cute,” the alpha objected.

Mingyu gaped. “What a lie! You’re the cutest, hyung!”

“Do you want your jaw dislocated again?” the boy snarled.

“…no?”

“Then shut up about it.”

Mingyu bit his lip. “That wasn’t very nice.”

Jihoon rubbed his forehead a little. “You are _not_ making this easier.”

“Sorry,” Mingyu slumped a little. “Why do you hate me so much?”

“Stop asking questions.”

Slowly the taller boy raised up a hand to hang off Jihoon’s sleeve again. “…don’t be mad?”

Jihoon sighed heavily. “Yeah.”

“Are you okay?”

“A little… tired.”

Mingyu nodded a little. The nightly conservatory visits were wearing him down, too. “Me, too.”

“Sorry.”

“Hey alpha?”

“Yeah?”

“…no, never mind.”

“What is it you keep wanting to ask? If you’re going to ask, ask already. Don’t keep trying and then saying ‘never mind’ like that. It’s really disconcerting.”

Mingyu bit his lip, looking away. “Can I… I mean, can we… uh… Nope! I’ll never ask again.”

Jihoon simply rolled his eyes and slid off the desk again. “I’m going to sit over at my own desk if you’re like this.”

“Class is starting anyway,” Mingyu pouted unhappily.

As promised, the bell went five minutes after that: twenty minutes into geography, Jihoon was called on.

“…Jihoon?” the teacher repeated. “Are you okay?”

The class turned around to look at the small boy. His face was shiny with a thin layer of sweat, and pink with fever – a little swollen, with a glassy look in his eyes.

“Uh,” the boy answered. “I think… I need to see… the nurse…”

“Who wants to walk-”

The teacher didn’t even get a chance to finish her sentence: Mingyu was already out of his chair, kneeling by his alpha, hand on his forehead. “Jihoon,” he whispered. “Time to go.”

If Jihoon fainted into his omega’s arms at that moment, he would never admit it.

 


	24. Developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon gets feverish with exhaustion. Mingyu is cute. Seungcheol reveals all his secrets.

“Where am I?”

“Dorm 105b.”

“Home?”

“Yes, back home.”

Jihoon turned his head to the side: his hand was hanging off the side of the bed. Mingyu sat in the corner there, asleep in an uncomfortable position. The alpha’s fingers gently ran through his hair. “…Mingyu was up for so long.”

“You didn’t exactly go to bed at lights out, either.”

“I’m an alpha. My body can take it.” The fingers didn’t stop.

“Well as evidenced by the hot fever you’re running, your body _can’t_ take it.” Joshua sat down on the edge of Mingyu’s bed. “Now that you’re awake though, let’s talk about this omega of yours.”

Jihoon blinked, fingers tousling the ends of Mingyu’s hair. “Let’s not.”

Joshua seemed to pick up on the uncertain lilt in the omega’s voice.

“What about Minghao then? That was something, huh? Seeing him talk and get marked the very next day…”

Jihoon’s nose wriggled a little. “…something about him throws me off.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I get weird vibes. Not anything bad, just… different. And sometimes he looks at me funny.”

“You guys look alike.”

“You think?”

Joshua grinned mischievously. “A little. With that wide-eyed, innocent lost sheep look you get when people surprise you.”

“I don’t look like a sheep.”

The two bickered until Jihoon got tired again, both of them just looking at Mingyu, how his hair was carted between Jihoon’s fingers.

“…I don’t know,” Jihoon answered the unspoken question. “I don’t know anything. Understand anything.”

“It wouldn’t be a crime to love him. He’s your omega. You’re meant to.”

“…I just don’t know.”

“Well… I think everybody likes the new you. I mean, you guys. The way you are now. Boyfriends. Even if you’re not really there yet to be kissy with him. This is nice. Feels very natural.” Joshua smoothed the back of his hand against Jihoon’s cheek. “You’re still very warm. You should rest.”

The alpha looked over at his omega.

Joshua got down, shaking Mingyu gently. “Miiiiingyu,” he cooed. “You should sleep on your bed.”

Mingyu woke up with a start, looking up. “Isn’t Jihoon still in my-”

Jihoon looked at him with wide eyes before shuffling all the way to the wall.

“Really?”

The alpha nodded.

Mingyu slowly stood, stretched and lay down on his bed, looking up at his alpha.

The smaller boy closed his eyes, feverish, and wiggled forward until his arms curled around Mingyu and his face was buried in the omega’s chest. “Like this,” he mumbled hazily. “Comfy.” He took a deep breath. “You smell of apple cider and cloves.”

Mingyu blushed, awkwardly putting his arm around his alpha too. “Thanks?”

Joshua gracefully backed out of the room.

The smaller boy almost smiled to himself, heaving a little sigh. “I missed your birthday,” he whispered.

“Why are you thinking about that?”

“…should have celebrated… with you…”

Mingyu’s arm clenched a little around the small figure. “Thank you, but it’s not necessary. When is yours?”

“November,” Jihoon mumbled back, eyes still closed.

“That’s a while away,” Mingyu whispered back. “Let’s do something nice then, hm?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Go out. Have a party. Get married.”

Jihoon snorted a little, poking the omega’s shoulder a little. “You work that speedy, huh?”

“Call me hopeful. I’d like marrying you. Tuxedo’s, flowers, champagne.”

“Drink water.”

The tall boy chuckled happily. “I like this. Being like this with you. It makes me happy.”

It made Jihoon happy, too, but he wouldn’t admit it.

“Hey alpha?”

“Mm?”

“Do you think there will ever be a time when you kiss me?” Mingyu couldn’t help the wanton tone in his voice. “I mean, it’s not-”

Jihoon’s little, thin lips skimmed across Mingyu’s cheekbone, stilling the boy instantly. “If you don’t shut up I might have to.” The alpha growled a little, kissing Mingyu’s cheek. “Don’t push me, kid.”

Mingyu was more than glad that his alpha’s little head was tucked under his chin: his cheek was blazing like it was on fire, a blush spreading across his face. His grin stretched far across his face as he pressed his nose into his alpha’s hair. “I love you,” he whispered happily. “So much.”

The only reason he didn’t get a response was because the alpha was asleep.

 

* * *

 

“Minghao?”

The boy looked up. He still rarely spoke, except to Hansol – his eyes were surprised to see Seungcheol speak to him so directly.

“I… I have something to tell you.” The alpha gulped a little. “While Hansol is showering.”

The boy made room on the bed: Seungcheol sat down, already sweating a little. He had hoped this day would never come. Better yet, he’d never dreamt of it.

“You know… that the Samsil Group and I… that we don’t get along.”

Nod.

“And you know it’s because I… disagree… with how they run things, what their M.O. is.”

Nod.

“I just never told anybody… why… what exactly the breaking point was, for me…” The alpha swallowed hard, staring at his own hands. “About two years ago my grandfather took me to one of our remote offices, and took me to the security room. He showed me video footage there.” The look in the alpha’s eyes was simply terrified as he looked up at the boy. “It was _you_. He said… he said you were an orphan. He said that… they were _experimenting_ on you. That they were _changing_ you. That it was my duty to keep it up when I took over the company. I watched them place you in a chair and-”

At that the alpha cut off, sickened.

“That day was the day I walked out of the Samsil for good. And… I knew I should have done something to get you out of there. I should have done something. Tried something. Anything. To free you. But… I was too scared. I was a fraidy cat. And I told myself you were a lost cause, anyway, that there was nothing I could do to help you.” The alpha’s voice was broken. “I’m _sorry,_ Minghao. It’s been haunting me ever since – and then, when I saw your face again – and I didn’t – I mean, I couldn’t –”

Minghao’s little hand moved onto Seungcheol’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. I forgive you.”

“God,” the elder whispered, looking at the curly-haired boy. “How can you forgive me for that?”

“There was nothing you could have done.”

“I had never imagined my father was conducting that kind of… there was more, fraud, drugs, there was so much more but I… and I…”

Minghao patted the shoulder gently. “It’s okay now. Now there’s Hansol. I’m happy.”

The tip of a black tattooed name stuck out from under Minghao’s shirt, and the alpha simply nodded. “Minghao, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I have Hansol now.”

“Everything else, just poof, gone?” he asked, bewildered. “All that pain, your whole life, and now all of a sudden it’s all just-”

“I have Hansol now.”

“Oh, hey hyung,” Hansol grinned, coming out of the shower. “What’s up?”

Minghao’s little arms went around Hansol’s waist. “See? I’m safe, now.”

Seungcheol looked at Hansol – a skinny fifteen-year-old boy with the glint of an omega in his eye.

“Yeah, you are.”

“What’s all this about?”

Seungcheol took a deep breath, and steeled himself. If Minghao deserved an apology, then his alpha did, too.

 

* * *

 

“Mingyu?”

“He’s having a shower,” Jihoon mumbled, sitting up in his bed. "Where'd you get the shiner?" 

“Oh. Okay, I just wanted to know where he was.” He grinned. "Hansol decked me. It's okay now though."

“Seungcheol! Come in a moment.”

The alpha closed the door behind him and sat down on Mingyu’s bed. “What’s up? I’m not supposed to be in the omega dorm.”

“Dorm shmorm, I have a question for you.” Jihoon’s gaze was intense. “How much do you hate the Samsil Group?”

Seungcheol’s hands grew into fists in his lap. “A lot.”

“How much is a lot?”

“Depends on what measuring staff you hold, I guess.”

Jihoon bit his lip. “If you could, would you overthrow the Samsil Group? Take it over and change it completely?”

“I would never be accepted.”

“But if the Samsil Group could be torn down?”

“It would never happen.”

“But if it did.”

“People would be lost. No technology, no land – there would be anarchy, chaos. It couldn’t happen.”

“What if there was somebody there to take over?” Jihoon pressed. “In an alternate universe, somebody who was ready to step in and take control.”

“The people would never accept some random stranger.”

“What if that person was already a public figure? _If it were possible,_ ” Jihoon pressed, “would you try and stop the Samsil Group?”

Seungcheol’s words were careful. “Like… a… rebellion?”

Jihoon didn’t answer that – not even a nod.

“I guess. But… it would have to be soon.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I couldn’t rebel against the company in ten years.”

“Why not?”

“Mingyu.”

“Mingyu?”

Seungcheol raised his eyebrows a little. “You didn’t realize? Mingyu is my baby brother. If I’m no longer heir to Samsil Group Industries…”

Jihoon froze.

“Your omega is. You’re going to marry the owner of the Samsil Group.”


	25. You Really ARE Cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon discovers Mingyu really IS cute. Seungcheol takes Seungkwan to Seoul.

It took Jihoon a total of fourteen hours to come to terms with the new information, and to realize it had no bearing on literally anything. He still had a duty to end the Samsil line, and he still wanted to be with Mingyu. Nothing changed with this information.

He’d gone back to his own dorm and asked Mingyu not to disturb him: at night when he couldn’t sleep off the fever anymore he could be found in the conservatory, singing his theme song over and over.

“Why are you so angry with me?” a voice asked when the music stopped.

“I’m not. I’m angry with myself.”

Mingyu came up behind his alpha, resting his fingers on his shoulders. “You shouldn’t be up. You should be resting.”

“I’ve rested long enough.”

“Hyung…”

Jihoon’s body was coded to Mingyu’s. He knew that now. There was something about that fingers on his shoulders that made him want to cry, something about his scent that was home to the boy. Something about the way he smiled that made Jihoon’s heart beat fast.

He leaned back until his head was pressed against Mingyu’s stomach. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay, Mingyu. I was going to bed soon anyway.”

The tall omega smiled. “I like it when you say my name.”

“Why aren’t _you_ asleep?”

“My entire bed smells of you, but you weren’t there. I couldn’t sleep.” Mingyu bit his lip for a second. “Jihoon… I… I know it’s for an omega to do, but… would… you let me… try and make you fall in love with me?”

Jihoon’s dark eyes opened, staring straight up at Mingyu. “What?”

The fingers on his shoulders moved slowly, across the alpha’s collarbones and then up to tickle his throat: at an even slower pace, Mingyu leaned down to kiss his alpha’s forehead softly.

“I’d take care of you, you know.”

Jihoon turned in his seat to listen patiently; Mingyu sat beside him.

“We don’t have to be a typical alpha-omega couple, if you don’t want me to. I’m the heir to the Samsil Group. I could take care of you.” His hand cupped one side of his alpha’s face. “In every way. You wouldn’t have to be dominant. I’d do it, if you really wanted me to. I’d do anything to make you happy.”

Mingyu’s fingers traced his alpha’s face – soft, gentle strokes up his cheeks, temples, across the forehead, outlining his eyes and eyebrows and his little nose happily. When he got to the lips, they parted a little, letting out a long, soft growl – more a purr than anything else.

“I love you,” Mingyu told him.

“I know.”

“You don’t love me back.” He said it like it was a fact.

“I don’t think so.”

“…so there’s hope? That you might, someday?”

“I don’t know.”

“For an alpha, there are a lot of things you don’t know.”

“For an omega your language is shamefully disrespectful,” Jihoon grinned back.

Mingyu smiled, his fingers tracing his alpha’s lips. “To be honest, I’m scared. Lying in bed surrounded by your scent. What if I get used to it? And then you leave me? What if someday you disappear and I can’t find you again?”

“That won’t happen.”

“How can you be sure.”

“You have an internal alpha compass, remember?”

The two of them chuckled for a moment.

“Mingyu… hold very still.”

The boy froze as his alpha shuffled closer, turning his head in his hands to stare at the jaw he’d dislocated months ago. Then, as light as a butterfly’s wings, he moved in and kissed all down Mingyu’s jawline fervently.

Mingyu’s knees went weak, goosebumps rising.

Jihoon’s lips – sweet, soft little lips – trailed over his face, then, blessing the omega’s eyelids and his nose and his forehead. Every so often, Jihoon would take a deep breath of Mingyu’s scent and shuffle a little closer, fingers on his neck.

To Mingyu’s great distress, Jihoon never kissed him on the lips.

Jihoon pecked the tip of his nose. “Go out with me this Saturday.”

“Eh? Like… like, on a date?”

“That’s what boyfriends do, isn’t it?”

Mingyu’s face beamed. “Really? With me? On a date? As boyfriends?”

“Joshua was right. God, you really _are_ cute.”

“You think I’m cute?!”

Everything in Jihoon’s body was urging to kiss his omega. He wanted to lean forward, grab the boy and kiss him until they were both dizzy. Until they couldn’t breathe. Until the boy beside him was begging him to never stop. Until he was backed up against a wall or the floor under the alpha, wriggling, fingers scratching Jihoon’s back or tangled in his hair. He wanted to kiss Mingyu – take his mouth, claim it as his over and over. The idea of Wonwoo – _Wonwoo –_ being the one to kiss Mingyu last burned in Jihoon’s memory.

But then he remembered the Height Difference Conundrum, and sighed a little.

“Yeah. Let’s go somewhere fun, alright?”

“Thank you!” Mingyu buried his face in Jihoon’s neck happily. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Alright, alright. Now off to bed.”

 

* * *

 

“Seungkwan?”

“Hyung?”

Seungcheol crossed his arms around his omega’s chest: the boy was lying in his lap, both of them enjoying the hot tub at the end of the school swimming pool. “I love you, you know that?”

“I love you too.”

“Seungkwan… will you stay with me?”

“Of course I will. You’re my alpha.”

Seungcheol took a deep breath. “No, I mean… if I were to do something wrong, would you still back me up and support me?”

“Of course.”

“If I were to go somewhere, you would follow me?”

“Yes.”

“No matter where it was?”

“No matter.”

“What if you found out I did something terrible?” Seungcheol’s fingers played Seungkwan’s collarbones. “What if you found out part of me was a monster?”

“Then my alpha would be a monster, and I’d be his omega.”

“It wouldn’t bother you?”

“It would bother me. But I wouldn’t love you any less. You could have killed a thousand men, and I’d still love you.” Seungkwan twirled around to face his lover. “Why? What’s gotten you so anxious today?”

Seungcheol didn’t meet his eye. “Just… I have a bad feeling.”

“Like?”

“There are hard times ahead.”

“So?” Seungkwan’s fingers found his alpha’s, twining them. “We’ll get through them together.”

“I just… I don’t know what will happen to me. I’ll be in a lot of danger, probably. But… that will put you in the way of danger, too. But I’m afraid. And I might not be able to get by without you. You don’t know what kind of strength you give me. I feel like I could knock down a building when you’re touching me.” Seungcheol pecked Seungkwan’s nose, still not meeting his eyes. “But without you…”

Seungkwan leaned in to kiss his troubled lover deeply. “I’m not leaving your side,” he promised. “No matter what happens.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Seungkwan kissed him again – sweet and kind this time. “Are you deaf or just not listening to me, hyung? We are together. Now, until we die.”

Seungcheol smiled a little. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Hey Seungkwan?” Seungcheol leaned in to whisper into the boy’s ear.

“…what, really?” Seungkwan blinked, surprised. “Tomorrow?”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to. I just-”

“I want to.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Seungcheol’s smile lit up Seungkwan’s entire world. “Thank you.”

The next day, the moment Friday classes were over, Seungcheol was waiting outside Seungkwan’s class, a small suitcase in one hand, holding the other out. “Ready?”

Seungkwan beamed happily and nodded, taking his hand. “Ready.”

Seungcheol – being his mother’s first child, regardless of being disinherited – did own a few pretty trinkets. One of them was very, very fast Maserati. The boy sped through the streets and over highways, his omega by his side until they got to the sky-scraper in Seoul.

“Seungkwan… before we do this, I have a confession to make.”

He told his little omega everything – about Samsil Group Industries, Minghao, his family, everything. In detail.

“…I wanted you to know that. Before I asked you to do this, I felt you should know. I’ll understand if you don’t want to know me anymore. After this.”

Seungkwan slowly reached over and took his alpha’s hand. “Seungcheol, look at me.” The omega’s eyes were bright but soft, smiling happily. “Thank you for telling me that. Now let’s go get married.”


	26. Goodbye, my love.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer passes happily. Autumn brings turmoil.

“…sorry, Mingyu. This was supposed to be our date.”

“That’s okay,” the tall boy smiled happily. “It can’t be helped right? I didn’t know that Principal Kim was your uncle.”

“It’s a long story. Anyway, sick people can’t do their own groceries, and he’s a picky little shit, so… if we’re quick about it we might still be able to go somewhere.”

“Even just grocery shopping with you is good.”

They both blushed at that, looking away from each other.

When they got off the bus they were still holding hands: Jihoon made Mingyu push their shopping cart, to deflect from how small Jihoon looked trying to see over it. The two of them bickered to and fro over literally _every single_ product like an old couple, while still holding hands.

“Ah, fuck.”

“What?”

Jihoon pointed. “Tinned beans.”

Mingyu bit his lip. He’d just gotten yelled at twice for picking up products that Jihoon couldn’t reach. “I guess I’m not allowed to get you that, huh?”

“No. You’re not.”

Mingyu sighed and gripped his alpha by the waist, hoisting him up. “Happy now?”

Jihoon quickly grabbed the tin he needed before Mingyu brought him back down. “You always know better, huh.”

“Don’t be angry.”

“I’m not. Come here.” Jihoon pecked his omega on the cheek. “That’s for being sweet. Asshole.”

Mingyu laughed and blushed, pushing the cart on: the boys finished their groceries for the principal in good time, making it home and dumping them in his quarters.

“Let’s go out.” Jihoon took his omega’s hand and pulled him outside to the bus again: within half an hour the two were at the beach, strolling along hand-in-hand as the sun began to set.

The smile on Mingyu’s face was bright and wide – he’d never been happier, on a date along the beach with his small alpha. Nothing could go wrong when the two of them were like this – together. As long as Jihoon didn’t stray too far, Mingyu would be satisfied. It didn’t matter if Jihoon didn’t love him, and it didn’t matter if Jihoon never kissed him on the lips. Jihoon was here.

They sat down eventually, to watch the sun go down over the water: Jihoon plonked himself very close to his omega.

“Mingyu? Thank you for coming with me today.”

“My pleasure,” the omega answered, blinking. “…why are you thanking me? I wanted to come more than you wanted me to come.”

“…I guess I think a little clearer when you’re with me. I still can’t make any decisions, but everything’s in straight lines with you here. Or, well, gay lines. Either way. Doesn’t matter.”

“Jihoon… Mingyu leaned his head on his alpha’s shoulder. “Sing to me?”

Jihoon smiled at that, opening his mouth to sing. He sang a lullaby his mother used to coo to him – about a wolverine keeping her cubs safe in the moonlight.

Mingyu sighed happily.

“Hey, omega?”

“Alpha?”

Jihoon turned a little. “I… I’m going to kiss you now.”

A moment of silence passed as Mingyu’s heart skipped a beat.

And then Jihoon’s lips were on his, one hand cupping his face: Jihoon was soft and hard at the same time, pulling his omega closer as the kiss went so deep, the omega quickly became breathless.

“Oh God,” he whispered when he was freed, gasping for air.

“What?” Jihoon couldn’t help the hurt look on his face. “No good?”

“…good,” Mingyu broke out. “Um. Heaven. Yes. Very. Uh-”

“Come here, idiot.”

Within seconds, Jihoon was pressing his omega into the sand, kissing him: it was everything either could have hoped for. Their beats seemed to synchronize in speed as Jihoon pressed his omega down, growling down his throat as Mingyu’s fingers gripped into his alpha’s back.

Jihoon snarled, nibbling on his omega’s lip – Mingyu was practically dead, and gone to heaven.

“Mine,” Jihoon told him, the dark tone of his voice dissuading any comments: the older boy’s hands slid down over Mingyu’s chest. “Mine,” he simply repeated.

“Yours,” Mingyu agreed breathlessly.

 

* * *

 

The summer months passed for the New School in what was a happy, peaceful days. After all, Puffball McFisticuffs had finally accepted his omega entirely, Jeonghan and Jun had _finally_ brought their PDA to a minimum, Seungcheol and Seungkwan were _married_ , Seokmin and Jooheon had already sent out invitations to their wedding for next March, Hansol and Minghao were beamingly happy little shits, Ren had calmed down _a lot_ and the world seemed to be sailing smoothly.

Chan seemed to be Minghao and Hansol’s adopted child, of a sorts – the small freshman, they soon found out, had a very singular talent.

They found this out when, in the middle of the day, the school website was flooded with photoshopped images of teachers in drag. The child was a hacking _genius_ – there was no system he couldn’t get into. Of course, once he was caught, his laptops and equipment was confiscated.

That hadn’t stopped him from breaking into the principal’s closet and taking everything back, piece by piece.

The summer was a happy time for the boys. Wonwoo and Soonyoung became close friends – even Jihoon had to forgive the former after a while. They were very sweet, charismatic boys, who were _far_ too good at sports for their own good: they all enjoyed using up the school gym on days off, holding wrestling tournaments.

Jihoon tended to win those.

But good times are not things that last.

Autumn was full of blustery storms and ragged winds that regularly broke windows in the dormitories. Wet clothes, cold classrooms. It was a sign of things to come: things that weren’t as benign as the hot sunny days they’d all enjoyed together.

 

* * *

 

“The Samsil Group stocks declined dramatically overnight. It will take them time to recover. Are you saying you’re _not_ going to kill him and his family?”

“I am going to kill Kim Samsil and all his blood,” Jihoon whispered back as if the words were rehearsed. “Until the last man. Revenge for my family.”

“Then now is the time to start. We drew these plans up months ago. To kill Mingyu, and then Seungcheol, and then when they were discovered and the family came here, to finish them.” This wasn’t what Joshua wanted. In fact, he’d spent more than his share of time weeping at the loss of friends who had become dear to his heart. Joshua didn’t want to lose Seungcheol or Mingyu, and he didn’t want his alpha to lose his omega, either. But this wasn’t about what Joshua wanted anymore. It was about Jihoon’s ambitions.

Jihoon closed his eyes. He knew this was the plan. It had been the plan for months. They’d had it all worked out. And Jihoon had never once expressed a will to deviate from the plan.

“Jihoon, if you want to avenge your mother, it has to be tonight. I checked the schedules. If you killed them tonight, Samsil would be here by nine tomorrow _morning_.”

 

* * *

 

 

Wonwoo and Soonyoung were out late in town – some archery competition they were participating in. Ren – well, he was out of the dorm more than he was in it. Nobody ever asked. Joshua slept in Mingyu’s bed. Mingyu slept in Jihoon’s.

Jihoon came out of the shower in his usual sleeping slacks and a t-shirt. Mingyu smiled at him. “I love sleeping over with you,” he mumbled.

“…yeah.”

“What’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird all night.”

Jihoon sighed and switched out the light. “Mingyu… I have something to tell you.”

The two of them blinked, readjusting to the darkness.

“Yeah? What is it?”

Jihoon moved, his very small legs bracing either side of his submissive omega. He straddled Mingyu in the bed, and pecked his lips. “Just… I’m sorry. Okay?”

“What for? Jihoon?”

Jihoon bit his lip. Tears were already racing down his cheeks and for a moment, he wasn’t sure if he could do it.

Then he remembered the steely, ghost-white face of his mother, carrying her only living son through the forest.

“My name isn’t Jihoon.”

Mingyu waited.

“My name is Lee Woozi, Great Prince.”

The boy froze.

“On the day my parents were murdered they fled the palace with me. They gave me to Principal Kim to keep me safe. Your grandfather murdered my whole family.” The boy worked through the cracks in his voice, tears dripping onto Mingyu’s chest. “And I swore a blood oath to my parents I wouldn’t let any of Kim Samsil’s children live. I’d see them all murdered by my own hands.

“And I’m sorry. I’m sorry because of all this mess. I never expected you and I to be alpha and omega. I never expected to feel like this. To care for you like this. To feel like the sun rises and dies with your smile.”

Jihoon slid forward to press a kiss to Mingyu’s forehead. At the same time, he pulled a knife out from under his pillow. He took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Mingyu. I hope you can forgive me in our next lives.”

He sniffed once, staring at the heavens, gulping, and for the first time ever, he said the words.

“I love you, Mingyu. Goodbye, my love.”


	27. The Man I Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon's identity is revealed.

“I’m adopted.”

The knife remained suspended in the air. “Excuse me?”

Mingyu became _very_ angry. “I’m _adopted,_ you witless _ass_!” he screamed. “I don’t _share_ blood with grandfather Samsil, are you _crazy_?! Were you really going to kill me?”

Jihoon dropped the knife: it clattered against the wall and fell down to the ground. “…sorry?”

“Grandfather Samsil can’t _have_ children, everything was cut off long before the rebellion!” Mingyu cried, sitting up. “Where you really going to kill me!?”

Jihoon was frozen in position, tears still wet on his face. “God.”

“You really _were_ going to kill me, weren’t you?!”

“Mingyu,” was all the alpha could bring out. “Mingyu.”

“What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?” Mingyu screamed, his face contorting in anger and pain. “What the everliving _fuck_ is wrong with you?!”

“Mingyu.” Jihoon couldn’t believe it. The peace, the relief, the happiness that flew through his veins. He could keep Mingyu. Mingyu wasn’t going to die anymore. He was his omega, and he would never be hurt. “Mingyu.”

Mingyu threw the alpha to the ground in rage. “You fucking _ass_!” he hissed angrily. “If you _are_ the prince, then you’re _just_ like your grandfather!”

The words ripped into Jihoon. By the time he could come to his senses, Mingyu had fled.

There was so much going on in such a small body it took the boy a while to figure it all out.

First, there was overwhelming happiness. The feeling that the sun had just come out to shine over him. Mingyu – his sweet, tall, gentle, handsome, perfect Mingyu – was not really Samsil’s family. Mingyu was good, and happy. Mingyu was just a little omega in a dog-eat-dog world who had gotten caught up in something awful. Something bad and filled with blood and murder. Dark things that should never have touched his perfect bronze skin.

Mingyu wasn’t going to die.

Mingyu was safe from harm, and it was swimming through his alpha’s veins. Mingyu was safe. He’d live a lovely, perfect, long life, as he should. Mingyu was so good.

“ _You’re_ just _like your grandfather.”_

The words echoed in the alpha’s mind as he lay on the ground, staring at the ceiling. Just like his grandfather. The man who changed ABOs’ way of life forever. A being – a _creature_ who had committed monstrosities. Horrors. Things Jihoon couldn’t even think about. Sickening things.

And Jihoon was just like him.

Jihoon was the type of boy who would kill his omega.

And for what? For the sake of revenge? For people who weren’t even alive anymore? Was that reason enough to kill an omega?

And not just any omega. No. _His_ omega. Mingyu.

The tall, skinny one. The one with a puppy-dog personality. With eyes that twinkled like the night stars when he was happy. Whose mouth could do all kinds of crazy contortionist moves when he was displeased. Who regularly picked Jihoon up to reach things that were high up. Who beamed at his alpha like that alpha was the whole world in his palm.

The one with the deep voice, the one that made Jihoon feel alive. The one that could only play the alphabet on the piano. The one who took a really long time to eat his vegetables.

That was his omega, Kim Mingyu.

And he had been planning to _kill_ him. Take his life. To plunge a knife into his pretty chest. To take him away for all of eternity.

The thought of what could have happened finally sank in for Jihoon.

He could have killed Mingyu. Had Mingyu bleeding in his bed. Had Mingyu gasp for breath and then die out. He could have seen Mingyu, pale, lifeless, eyes wide open in shock and pain in his bed. In Jihoon’s bed. The alpha’s bed. The place the omega had thought himself the safest. Where nothing could hurt him.

“Oh my God, what have I done?”

Joshua burst into the room.

Jihoon stared at the worried face hovering over him. He hadn’t realized he’d been crying.

“Adopted,” he whispered. “Mingyu’s adopted.”

Everything seemed to black out.

 

* * *

 

“Hoonie.”

He tried to say Mingyu’s name. Oh, how he tried. All that came out was a muffled slur.

“Jihoonie.”

“Minmmwhhghhywwwmmmm…”

“Lee Jihoon.”

“Mingyuuuuuuuuu?”

“It’s time to wake up now, alpha.”

It took Jihoon a moment to recognise the voice.

“…Joshua?”

“Wakey wakey, eggs and bacey.”

Jihoon’s body seemed to slump a little before he regained consciousness. He gripped his head. “Where am I?”

“Principal Kim’s office. You were… upset.”

“You screamed and kicked,” a new voice said gently. “We had to sedate you.”

“Mingyu. Where’s Mingyu?”

“Not here,” Jeonghan answered him, helping the boy sit up.

Jihoon poked the crusts out of his eyes slowly. All his friends were in the room in various positions: standing, sitting, it doesn’t matter. Seungcheol was the closest of all, anxious, biting his lip.

“What-”

The principal cleared his throat. “I think there’s a story you owe to your friends, Jihoon.”

“…what-?”

“It’s time we told them everything.”

“So we’re going to-?”

“It’s time to tell them everything,” Joshua repeated, holding his alpha by the shoulders. “I’m right here.”

Jihoon closed his eyes and looked away, taking a deep breath. This was difficult. After years of hiding undercover, he was now about to tell an entire room of people how the story went down.

“Eleven years ago, my parents fled the royal palace with me in their arms. They gave me to principal Kim and were slaughtered. I’m the Great Prince Woozi. I’ve been living undercover all this time. Waiting. Listening. Hoping. Swearing on my father’s dead body that I would end the life of the man who murdered him. Kim Samsil of Samsil Group Industries.”

“Tell them from the start,” Joshua chided gently.

And so, the whole story came out – every detail, every moment of Jihoon’s life. Nothing was spared. None of the pain the boy went through, none of his tribulations were concealed. Jihoon poured his entire heart out to his friends, all the way up to the moment he tried to murder his omega.

Hansol walked forward slowly, Minghao in tow. “That story’s almost entirely correct.”

“…what do you mean, almost?” Jihoon snapped, agitated. “It’s the truth.”

“Samsil didn’t kill your entire family.”

Jihoon’s breath caught.

“He kept one alive, to experiment on. Your brother. He was rescued by my parents, months ago. I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to tell you.”

Jihoon’s eyes were fixated on Minghao. “…brother?” he whispered. The unsettling feeling he had in his stomach when looking at the near-silent boy was dislodged, falling right into place. “I have a brother?”

Minghao nodded with a soft smile. Obviously, he’d been briefed.

“I have a brother!”

The two held each other fast: Jihoon growled as he placed his face into Minghao’s shoulder. “My brother. My little baby brother.” He gasped, letting go and staring into Minghao’s beautiful, light eyes. “The last time I held you, you were this big.” He held his hands apart to the approximate size of a newborn baby. “You cried then, too.”

Minghao quickly wiped his tears away. “I love you, brother.”

“My brother,” was all Jihoon could muster.

“Jihoon,” Joshua said gently. “It’s three o’ clock in the afternoon. We brought you – and everybody – here for a reason.”

“And it better be a damned good one,” the alpha snapped, hardly angry at all. He couldn’t rip his eyes away from his baby brother. “What is it?”

“…this was dropped off in a box at the front gate this morning,” Joshua told him, putting a manila envelope on Jihoon’s lap. “We thought you should see it.”

Jihoon looked at Joshua, the envelope and then around the room.

“You guys…”

“A lot is starting to make sense,” Seungcheol interrupted, his voice breezy and light. “No wonder you hated Mingyu so much at first. And me. We couldn’t figure it out.”

“Nobody could be angry after a story like that,” Jun agreed, kissing Jeonghan’s cheek. “It’s like something from a movie.”

All around the room were faces. Not one of them was angry, horrified or scared at the information Jihoon had unleashed upon them.

“Actually,” Ren sighed, holding up his hand. “I… kind of knew from the beginning. My parents kept detailed portraits of the royal family. It was a hobby. Sorry about kissing you so much, but it was kind of fun to taunt a prince.”

Wonwoo and Soonyoung both held up their hands.

“Cousin of a Marquis,” Wonwoo admitted. “He got drunk one night and told me everything. So naturally my beta knows, too.”

A moment of silence passed as Jihoon processed.

“…that’s a lot of new information,” he said. “This might take me a few days.”

“You don’t have a few days,” Joshua said softly, petting down Jihoon’s hair. “You don’t have any time at all, Jihoon.”

“Last night,” Seungcheol piped up, “Mingyu came to me, upset. I gave him cab money to go home for a night to rest. He told me he never wanted to see you again, or hear your name. But even though I love and respect my baby brother… I want you to open the envelope.”

Inside the envelope was a picture of a boy. His face was a colourful palette, a scheme of blacks and blues and purples. Blood ran from his nose. He lay unconscious, on the ground.

The note that accompanied it confirmed the deathly feeling in Jihoon’s veins.

_If the Great Prince Woozi wants to see his omega alive again, he will have to come get him. He’s in your bedroom. Come find him._

A moment of silence passed as Jihoon read the words out loud. Tiny sparks of flame rose, mid-air, around the alpha. A dark cloud settled over his head.

“…grandfather Samsil doesn’t make idle threats,” Seungcheol mumbled, squeezing his omega’s hand. “He’d rather kill his only heir than see him with you. And he’d kill to see you dead.”

Jihoon picked up the letter opener off the Principal’s desk and put it through the note and photograph, making it stick in the wood.

“All of you,” he said lowly, his back to the room. “Will you follow me?”

The ‘yes’ was unanimous, loud, and in chorus.

“Pack your things. We leave at sundown.” The boy turned to the room, heading for the door.

“Where are we going?” Chan asked.

“…to find the man I love.”


	28. Strawberry Jelly Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get ready for an assault on the Palace.

Principal Kim sighed. “Sorry, boys.”

“Uncle Kim, you raised me for eleven years. This is more than enough.”

“I would come. But…”

“Broken ankle, heard you the first time. And the second. And the third,” Seokmin teased.

The Principal hobbled over to a panel of his office. “Listen, boys, if I can’t go with you, I’m giving you all I can.” The panel came away to reveal a safe.

“Hey!” Chan scowled. “That’s not the safe I broke into last time! So you _do_ have my battery still!”

“Dear boy, there are a total of 147 different safes and vaults in this building,” Principal Kim told him. “But this one is a little special.”

Click, click, click. Ding, ding.

There was some loud groaning and rusty movement of metal until finally the wall pulled away a little.

“This building was created by Hansol’s grandfather, back in the day,” the principal said, waiting for the slow mechanics to finish. “Or rather, he’s the architect. He knew a day would come that somebody needed it, but he risked his all to smuggle it out of the palace without the King knowing.”

The wall eventually slid back to uncover a stairwell: the principal handed his protégé a flashlight.

“Whatever you boys find down there you think will be useful, take it with you. You don’t know what you’ll find in the palace.”

At the bottom of the stairwell was a hallway: the moment they stepped in, halogen lights in the ceiling woke up.

“…Uncle Kim,” Jihoon smirked, shaking his head slowly. “When will you ever cease to surprise me?”

“Why does Principal Kim own so many guns?” Jun asked, pulling one off the wall. “Shit, it’s heavy too. But I bet I look cool.”

“Not about looking cool,” Jeonghan reminded him.

“Check, it, out!” Chan dived for a display case. “I know at least a dozen hackers who would _die_ to get their hands on this stuff. A motion-keyboard? Listen…”

Jihoon simply walked over to another display case as lights came on further down the hallway, lighting up more cases, more weaponry. “Take what we need and only that.” He opened a drawer and began to pull out black.

Joshua was behind him. “I got this. You find the rest.”

Principal Kim’s cave was like Christmas had come early. He had an arsenal of weaponry – automatic, semi-automatic, knives, lasers. If it was fatal, it was in there. There were drugs and bombs and grenades, gas bombs and dynamite: and Wonwoo genuinely hit the jackpot when he found the Fakes.

“Hey look!” he cried. “It’s a ring with a needle in it that spouts drug into your opponent! And tear-gas shoes!”

Fake noses with darts in them, fake wigs that carried dynamite – the boys were all over it, oohing over the goods.

“Boys.”

Joshua bent down on one knee instantly: the others looked at him as if he was crazy.

“Why is Joshua- ooooh.” Seungkwan pulled a face. “Right, Prince.” He got down on one knee only to shoot up again. “I fucking ate the Prince’s strawberry jelly candy in the middle of the night!”

“I knew it was you!” Jihoon roared back. “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Don’t touch my candy!”

There was a moment of silence.

“Josh, you can stand up,” Seungcheol said. “Don’t get me wrong, I would if he asked me to, but I don’t think Jihoon’s into that kind of thing anymore.”

“Get dressed,” the Prince ordered, throwing down a pile of black clothing. “Proper swat gear.”

 

* * *

 

Nobody really minded that they had to drive under illegal terms: Uncle Kim’s cave owned jeeps and jaguars but they opted for one black Volkswagen minivan, unmarked and unremarkable. Seungcheol drove: the others mostly got in a few hours of sleep where possible.

Eventually, Seungcheol and Jihoon were the only ones awake.

“Thank you, Seungcheol. For this.”

“…I think, what’s happened with our families, our friends, and Mingyu… aren’t we past the point we have to thank each other for things? Apologise to or forgive each other?” Seungcheol kept his eyes on the dark of the road. “You are a prince, and I recognise your authority more than my fathers or grandfather’s. Thank you. For coming for Mingyu like this.”

“I love him.”

“Why couldn’t you say that before? Did you not love him when you thought he was Samsil’s blood?”

“No. I… I loved Mingyu from the first time we touched. But I couldn’t say it. Because to say it meant I was giving up on mom and dad.”

Seungcheol nodded once. “I don’t know how to… make up… for the things the family as done.”

“As mine has done. I thought we were past apologizing and forgiving?”

Seungcheol smiled. “Jihoon… n-no, Woozi-”

“Jihoon is fine.”

“I love you like a brother, you know. For Mingyu. This… trip… it’s dangerous for us both. If ABO’s find out you’re still alive, who knows how they will react?”

“With the Samsil Group having such a good face to the public, I doubt it would be a good reaction.”

“It’s dangerous for me too. And Seungkwan. All of us.” He sighed. “It’s a pity omegas are stubborn enough to want to come.”

“Ain’t that the truth. I’m sorry, for putting Seungkwan and everybody in danger.” The boy grew quiet. “It wasn’t my intention.”

“I know. And this isn’t something you can help. Everybody from dorm 105b… they really love you.”

“Being in that dorm was a good life,” Jihoon answered, a melancholic look on his face. “Dorm 105b, huh… I guess that’s where it all started. Without that dorm… I wouldn’t have known any of you. Even though I got kicked out… even Ren.” Jihoon smiled, looking over his shoulder. Ren’s pack was off on a holiday without him. He was asleep with Chan in his lap. “Who could have guessed it?”

“It’s been one hell of a school year,” Seungcheol acknowledged. “Everything happened so fast.”

Jihoon nodded.

“How’s everything sinking in? I guess that makes Minghao a prince, too.”

Jihoon looked at the boy on the seat beside him: eyes closed, towards the tinted window. “My brother survived. I can’t imagine what they put him through-”

“I saw it first-hand. It wasn’t pretty.”

Seungcheol explained, but they both sat in silence afterwards. There was nothing left to say between the alphas.

“We need some kind of plan for when we get there,” Seungcheol said. “We can’t just show up at the palace front gates.”

“It’s okay. I’ve got it covered.”

“You do?”

“Well, kind of. I mean… I know how to get in. And how to get to my bedroom. Actually getting there will be a problem.” Jihoon glanced over his shoulder. “I’m just grateful I have you guys. And that you’re fighters. Don’t be surprised when Jeonghan puts a few people in their place.”

Seungcheol chuckled and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“…when Mingyu came to you. Last night.”

Seungcheol sighed. Somehow, this burdened him more than a kidnapped brother. “When I say upset, I mean _upset_. Mingyu was not a happy boy. I’ve never seen him like that.

“Well,” Jihoon deadpanned. “I did try to kill him. I’m pretty sure that would put a damper on anybody’s relationship. Nothing says I love you more than a knife to the heart.”

“…okay, good point.” The driver sighed, breaking at a red light. “I just… I’m worried he might not want to come with you, after everything.”

“With any luck, he won’t have a choice,” Jihoon answered. “If I’m lucky, his body will react before his mind catches up. I don’t plan to stick around for longer than that.” They sat in silence for a while. “Park here, we’ll walk the rest of the way.”

The van full of boys was roused: Seokmin was urged to stay in the van, mobile phone on. So he could drive up when the boys needed him.

Jooheon was happy. His omega, out of all, would be the safest.

Jihoon led the party around into the forest, to the back of the palace: in the dark of the night not a sound was made. In through the basement, past the kennels and into the courtyard-

They halted.

“This little piggy went to market,” one of them said, loading his gun. “Who’s coming with it?”

Jeonghan pulled a P-90 off his back.

“Go. We’ll keep them,” Jun said. “Jooheon, Wonwoo, Soonyoung.”

There had to be at least a hundred armed men in the courtyard: only Chan, Seungkwan, Seungcheol, Joshua, Ren and Jihoon were able to move in the end: bullets flew.

It just so happened that Soonyoung’s beta power was a pretty damn good bullet-proof shield.

The boys followed Jihoon: up the stairs into the servants’ quarters. They’d been emptied and ransacked years ago: nothing but disarray and broken pieces of furniture were left. It was a desolate, painful sight for the young prince who remembered roaming the halls, but he was allowed little time to reminisce over them.

The smell of the palace hallways was tainted by the smell of Mingyu: and every turn brought that smell closer. Jihoon ran not so much on memory but on his nose, following the trail to the bedroom he once kept as a young prince.

Suddenly Chan darted off. “Be right back!” he hissed, racing off down a hallway.

“Chan!”

“Let him go,” Joshua bid.

There was little choice: five guards suddenly trooped down a flight of stairs, armed.

Ren simply cocked his head a little. “Allow me.”

“What?”

“I said, allow me.” Ren’s hair flicked over his shoulder, and he made a funny movement with his hands.

It took a moment to sink it what it was.

“Grenade.” And then Joshua was out of there, taking Jihoon with him: out of the path of the explosion. “Sorry. I know we’re off-track. We lost the others.”

Jihoon didn’t even spare a moment commenting on that. “This way.”

Nothing mattered anymore: the smell of Mingyu was so strong it was physically burning the alpha’s nose. It was just so much worse because he could smell blood.

Mingyu was on the bed, the red silk sheets still on the mattress from the night a sleepy Jihoon had been pulled from them. Face swollen and black. Asleep.

In the chair – _the_ chair, the one with the purple cushion, though the rug was gone – sat an elderly man. Heavy set, broad-shouldered, worse for wear. On either side, two guards.

“Kim Samsil,” Joshua whispered, the sound of pelting bullets and explosions filling his ears as the frenzy to protect the alpha subsided.

“Well, well, well,” the elderly man smiled. “If it isn’t the little Prince Woozi.”


	29. Thank God for Jihoon's Violent Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon and Samsil have a game of wits.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Samsil the Slayer.”

“Look at the _size_ of you! I was at least expecting somebody as tall as Mingyu. You’re like a little fairy!”  
Kim Samsil laughed to himself. “It’s alright boys. This kid can’t hurt me.”

“Sir, I-”

Samsil growled. “Go after one of those rotten kids running around!”

The two guards exited the bedroom swiftly: Jihoon let them.

“So, you think I can’t hurt you?” Jihoon smirked. “You think you’re safe, don’t you?”

“Wow.” The elderly gentleman leaned forward. “You’re _really_ small. You haven’t grown much since the last time I saw you, have you? God, look at you. And you’re an alpha, too? Mingyu’s alpha? That’s wrong, that’s just so wrong.”

Joshua growled a little.

“If there’s anything wrong about this situation it’s you,” Jihoon muttered.

He was surprisingly calm, facing his arch-enemy: the boy stood straight, instead of arched forward to attack.

To the others this was a battle. This was physical duress. But Jihoon was here in a room with Kim Samsil. This was no longer about the body. This was the mind. They had lived together in the palace for Jihoon’s most formative years, and the boy had learned from those years.

“Go on, tell me.”

“You remember the games we used to play?”

“Do you want to start talking real fucking quick, or?”

“You’re no fun anymore, little Prince.” Samsil coughed and straightened up. “Well, firstly, might I suggest you take a look at where your dearest little omega is sleeping.”

Jihoon spared Mingyu another glance.

“That’s your bed. And you remember the dangers surrounding your bed, don’t you?”

One eyebrow went up. “Chloroform on the pillow, then?”

Samsil just smiled, waving his hand a little for Jihoon to continue.

“Some poor creature you’ve stuffed in the mattress. A live fox or rabid rabbit.”

“Almost.”

“Beehive?”

“That’s the one!”

“Knew I smelled honey.”

Joshua straightened from his stance, confused, but this was how the game was played. Jihoon remembered only too well what happened when people didn’t play the game just as Samsil had meant for it to be played.

If you didn’t listen to all the rules, you died. It was that simple. One way or another.

“I’d be careful where I stepped if I were you.”

“Pressure plates. I knew it. They were missing from the stairs.”

“I wonder what would happen if you set a pressure plate off.”

Jihoon swayed a little where he stood, watching the man in the chair. “How badly do you want Mingyu dead?”

“Mingyu’s nothing to me, either way now. Whether you die or not, he won’t ever be the heir anymore. And if he’s not the heir, then what use is he?”

“So, a bomb under the bed.”

“Oh, some plates will trip it, some won’t.”

Jihoon breathed deeply, gripping his beta. “Don’t move.”

Samsil grinned – a filthy, cruel grin that brought back haunting nightmares from the prince’s childhood. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “And me, too, little Prince. Or am I allowed to move?”

“Pressure plate under your cushion. If I punch you and you fall off…”

“Boom goes princey-boy, and his beloved omega.”

“You know, that chair is a priceless relic.”

“I know. It was fun tearing it apart.”

Jihoon looked up at his ceiling, squinting for a moment. “The ceiling?”

“Oh, I won’t give anything away. You’ve gotten very good at this.”

“No pianos or anvils, surely.”

“How did you know I’d tapped the ceiling?”

“Fresh plaster.”

Samsil slowly shook his old head. “Unbelievable. What a memory you have.”

“You’d be surprised at the things I remember. The toy you gave me that was poisoned. The sword you tried to run me through with. It had a silver hit, didn’t it? Yes, with diamonds encrusted in it. Passed down for centuries.”

“Good blade,” Samsil remarked.

“My parents’ screams in the forest as you cut them open.”

“Oh, how I wish you’d seen some other things.”

The tone made Jihoon freeze in his swaying.

“You remember your siblings?”

“Lizzy and Nana,” the boy spat between his teeth.

“Yes, and the boy, too. It’s such a pity, you know? About them.”

It hit Jihoon like a rock to the head. “None of them ever died.”

“Oh, no, they died. Trust me, they died.” Samsil’s smile was never ending. “But… not immediately.”

“You experimented on them.”

“Of course I did. I had to see inside their little bodies and see what they were made of. I wish I’d gotten you, too. You would have been so interesting to see.”

“You’re a sick man.”

“So was your grandfather.”

Jihoon gritted his teeth in frustration, one hand still on Joshua’s body for stability. “Ahuh.”

“Lizzy was easy. Like stepping on a leaf and hearing it crunch. She gave up so quickly. I think her body was only taken four or five times before she bled to death.”

Jihoon growled.

“Nana, now there was a nut to crack. She just kept going. Feisty little thing. She withstood it for five, almost six years I think, before finally giving up. She was so little, poor thing. She wasn’t really made to withstand operation after operation, drug after drug. Eventually her whole body just… sprang apart!” Samsil flicked his hands into the air with a happy giggle. “Just like that, like a broken jack in the box.”

Joshua growled now: his hand gripped Jihoon’s shoulder. “Please let me rip into him.”

“Hold.”

“The boy – now he was promising. We took it a little slower with him, you know. Kept him on drugs longer and then weaned him off them. The surgeries were less explicit and more observatory than anything. We tried a lot of things – drafting in some animal DNA, mechanical limbs, but nothing really took. Couldn’t figure out why.” The old man seemed to be amused by his own thoughts. “He died about a year ago.”

“Ahuh.”

“But you. You’ll be my crowning glory. When I take apart your body and look at how your ribs are put together. Your siblings were all omegas, so what makes you an alpha? I can’t wait.”

“You’ll be waiting an awful long time.”

“Oh, you think?”

“There’s a laser in the corner. Heat-detecting?”

“Motion sensor,” Samsil smirked.

“And rabid dogs in the closet.”

“Very good.”

“Guards surrounding the palace.”

“Go on.”

“…I’m guessing a few gas bombs here and there.”

“Of course. You’re missing the best one.”

The Prince looked back at his omega again. His entire body raged to go over there and protect him. Then he saw the distance between him and his grandfather.

“What did you do?”

“When Mingyu was first adopted he was just a baby,” Samsil smiled. “So small. They cut his throat open and placed a tiny bomb at the anchor between his neck and jaw. Biomechanical, you understand.” He held up a black device. “All I have to do is push this button to detonate that bomb, flood the boy with poison. Of course, it can be trigged by other things, for instance if Mingyu was hurt in that area, but this button is what will do it.

“So what happens now? Now that I can kill your precious omega with the push of a little button?”

Jihoon smiled – a broad, happy, delivering smile. A smile of victory. He pulled out his revolver and aimed it at Kim Samsil’s head. “Now I know for a fact you’re bluffing.”

“Oh? And how do you know that for sure?”

“If Kim Mingyu had that kind of device in there-”

“He does.”

“If he did,” Jihoon continued, “…it would have gone off when I broke his jaw.” And with that, he fired the gun.


	30. Son of a Bitch, Lee Jihoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go home and Mingyu wakes up.

“Yo,” Chan chimed, climbing into the van.

“…you haven’t been gone thirty minutes.”

“Yeah, I had a quick job to do in there. No biggie. The others will be done soon.”

“…that soon?”

“Long story. Don’t worry.”

Five moments later, Seokmin’s phone went off: the boy drove the black van up the road to the old, derelict palace, its grounds overgrown and wild. There, Chan hauled the door open, welcoming bloody warriors into the van.

“Where’s Jihoon?” Seokmin asked, gripping Jooheon’s hand.

“Coming,” Chan answered. “Give him some more time.”

“He-”

“Give him time!” the tiny boy yelled back.

Everybody seemed to be wounded somehow: Minghao had a dislocated shoulder and Jun had broken his arm: the others all seemed to be bleeding from somewhere. Four first-aid boxes were passed around the van.

“Here they come.” Chan opened the van again: Joshua got in first, Mingyu on his back, then Jihoon.

Somehow they had all survived.

Seungcheol got in the driver’s seat. “Here, let me. My limbs are still working.”

Ren gripped Mingyu into his lap, holding him tightly as Jihoon closed the van door. “So?”

Jihoon slumped in his seat, looking around at the friends he’d gained. “Thank you,” he whispered. “So much.”

 

* * *

 

Nobody would have blamed Jihoon for falling asleep as the sun rose on the way home, but he did no such thing. He sat in the back with Mingyu in his arms, gently caressing the boy until they got home.

Seungcheol took his little brother, carrying the tall lout: all the way to the nurse’s office.

The poor woman had been prepared, thank goodness: the rest of Ren’s pack was there in scrubs, waiting for the team to come on home.

It wasn’t until the nurse had confirmed that Mingyu would live – through the chloroform and the beating he’d sustained – that Jihoon allowed himself to slump in a seat and sleep.

 

* * *

 

“I don’t know what to say to you all.”

Ren smiled. “Well, when you ascend the throne again, I know a certain young alpha with long hair and a pretty face who would love to be, oh I don’t know, a general or something.”

Soonyoung ribbed him good-naturedly.

“Really, you guys. I don’t know what to say.”

“Oh nonsense,” Seungkwan grinned, putting an arm around the boy. “What’s fighting a few bad guys with big guns and putting our lives on the line, amongst friends?”

“…I’ll forgive you for eating my strawberry jelly candies?”

“…deal.”

The two boys shook on it, grinning at each other.

“So, what happens now?” Everybody turned to look at Jeonghan. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, but killing Samsil doesn’t change anything. The Samsil Group is still in control of everything. Like… _literally_ everything.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Chan smiled happily. “I think if you try, you’ll find that a certain young, courageous alpha boy snuck into the palace computer rooms, outdid the guards there and dumped all of the Samsil Group’s illegal activities’ official files on the internet for the whole world to see.”

There was a pause of disbelief.

“Oh, and there was a live feed webcam in the room Mingyu was in, so I streamed it live on Youtube. Uh, up until the point where Jihoon shoots Samsil, I left that part out. It’s already got over six million hits.”

Jihoon slowly clapped. “Nice work, Chan!”

Minghao put an arm around his older brother. “Jihoon?”

“Yes?” Jihoon curled his arm around Minghao’s waist.

“You’re my brother.”

Warmth blossomed in Jihoon’s chest. “Yeah. You’re my brother, too.”

The two just spent a moment looking at each other. Where there had been no family or hope, there was now Minghao. Suddenly his little brother was alive and _happy_ with his alpha’s hand in his own.

“Hansol.”

“Yes?”

“There are few people I could trust to take care of my baby brother. Thank you.”

“It’s more than I’d ever hoped for. The greatest honour.” Hansol smiled into Minghao’s neck happily. “Thank you. Both of you.”

Jihoon simply smiled.

“Uh… Hoonie?” Josha cringed as something slammed behind him, head in the doorway. “He’s awake.”

The boy was at the doorway before he could stop himself but then halted, worried. “Does he… is he…”

“Regardless of whether he does or is, I’d go see him if I were you.” Another crash. Joshua winced again. “He uh… is kicking up a fuss.”

Jihoon hurried to the nurse’s office, hesitating by the door.

“You get that _son of a bitch Lee Jihoon_ in here _right now_ hyung or I swear I’ll-”

Jihoon stepped inside.

Seungcheol was under duress, that much was obvious: Mingyu was holding up what seemed to be a clock, ready to smash at his older brother.

Seungcheol dashed for the door before it could swing closed. “He’s your problem now.”

“Lee Jihoon!” The clock was flung towards the alpha. “What the fuck is your issue?”

Jihoon held his arms up to protect his face.

“Why weren’t you here when I woke up?!” Mingyu screamed, ripping a pillow off the bed. “Where were you? That you couldn’t be by my side?!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you’d want to-”

“See you?!” Mingyu began to pound his alpha with the soft pillow. “I don’t! I don’t want to see your ugly mug ever again! I love you! I love you so much! Where were you?! I missed you! And they hurt me! And you! Weren’t! There!”

Jihoon gripped his collar and pulled him down for a kiss.

He dropped the cushion.

“I’m sorry.”

“…that was all I needed,” the omega mumbled pitifully.

“I love you.”

“No, _that_ was all I needed.” Mingyu leaned down for another kiss. “I love you, too.”

“I’m so sorry. About – about everything.”

“You came to save me, right?”

Jihoon nodded.

“Then I forgive you.”

Jihoon pushed Mingyu a little until he was in a seat: once they were on the same level Jihoon gripped his shirt and leaned in. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“No, you don’t understand. I _love_ you.”

Mingyu’s fingers teased down the side of his alpha’s face. “I don’t understand.”

Jihoon leaned in, growled, and kissed his omega: the kiss was deep and passionate, and Mingyu could feel it right down to his toes. Then the alpha growled again, and the kiss became a little wilder: there was so much tongue and lip and Jihoon’s fingertips and his face and his back and _Jihoon_ , everywhere around him until Mingyu’s mouth was being taken over by him.

“Let’s get married,” Jihoon gasped, breaking off. “Let’s get married and marked and elope and all those crazy things.”

“Let’s take it a little slower than that,” Mingyu suggested, laughing.

Jihoon blushed. “I love you.”

It began to sink in for Mingyu that the words he’d been waiting to hear since they first touched were being said – repeated over and over.

“Mingyu, I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Mingyu pulled his alpha in even closer until he was straddling Mingyu’s lap. “Good. Keep it like that.”

“Yes, _sir,_ ” the alpha smiled.

 

 

 

 

 

**The End.**


	31. Alternative Ending 1

His entire face lit up: the grin painted on his face grew very wide, making his cheeks bunch up. There was a twinkle like fireworks in his eyes and his sharp teeth showed as he radiated pure joy and happiness. “Alpha!” he cried, hugging Jihoon tightly. “It’s my alpha! I found my alpha!”

Jihoon looked up in shock.

 _Possible futures,_ his father had always told him, _are never certainties. Seeing possible futures is a trait of our family. Keep it secret, and do not dwell on what you see._

Jihoon looked up at Mingyu, the tall boy who was hugging him so happily in the middle of the cafeteria. Then he smiled and pulled the boy down for a long, happy kiss.

“Hello Mingyu,” he smiled. “My omega.”

“Hello Jihoon,” the boy returned, a bit bewildered and embarrassed. “My alpha.”

“I love you.”

Mingyu beamed. “I love you too."

“Come on.” Jihoon gripped Mingyu’s hand in his, as if he knew this would happen all along. “I want to show you something.”

Ten minutes later they were in the conservatory: Jihoon behind the piano, Mingyu beside him.


	32. Alternative Ending 2

 “Jihoon. Time to wake up.”

“Seokmin, I hate you.”

“Come on, it’s the first day of school.”

Jihoon pulled his head off his pillow a little. “Ugh. I had the _weirdest_ dream. You wouldn’t believe it.”

Fifteen minutes later, Seungkwan burst into the room. “The hallways,” he announced, “are _crawling_ with new students!”


	33. Alternative Ending 3

“Jihoonie-hyung,” Mingyu cooed. “Please give us some aegyo.”

“Go away.”

“Come on,” S.Coups told him, picking Jihoon up. “Or you won’t get to eat before we start schedules.”

“Schedules?”

“M-hm,” S.Coups answered. “Remember? Today is comeback. Time to eat.”

The boy, curled up in his blankets stared at the food for a while before starting to eat. “You guys wouldn’t believe what I just dreamt of.”

“What?”

Eventually, everybody was staring at the boy.

“…I had a dream where Seungkwan stole my strawberry jelly candies. I don’t really remember the rest, but that bit I remembered.”

Everybody turned to Seungkwan.

“I was really hungry, okay?!”


	34. Author's Notes

I would like to thank everybody – all of you – who have read this fanfiction. Who read it, gave me kudos, bookmarked it and commented. To all of you who supported me, a Dumb Fanfic Writer™ as she went on a little adventure.

In eight days I have written 46000+ words, and I’ve been on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I can only hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Thank you so much for coming on this adventure with me. I couldn’t have done it without you!

Here’s my special shoutout to minghaon, monophobixxx & 6veryday for being _super duper omni mega gigantor_ awesome people who spurned me on to make those fingers burn!

If you enjoyed this fanfic, _please_ do recommend it to other people. I am a slut for feedback, comments, and random fangirl screechings of _AAAAAAAAAAAAAHOSDHFLKSJDFLKJLGHPIERHENOVPBA;JFDI!!!!!!_. They are all very much appreciated.

“But Ellie, what do I do, now that this fanfiction has ended?!” Well, let’s hope Seventeen has a comeback soon? In other news I’m currently working on the plot line for [The Prettiest Things in Life](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6099583/chapters/13982029) which is a Jicheol Android AU and will probably be my fluff/angst magnum opus, so if you want to keep reading my stuff I’d be so indebted to you to check it out! For spoilers/updates/other ish you can follow my twitter [here](https://twitter.com/PeppermintGlow)!

“But Ellie, it can’t be finished!” But it is.

“But Ellie, which one of the Alternative Endings was the real one?! They all sucked!” Listen I am a Very Very Bad Person™ who will hurt you as much as possible via fanfic there’s nothing anybody can do to change that. Trust me. They’ve tried.

I hope you all had a great adventure with me. Until the next time, thank you all _so, so much._

 

With love,

Ellie.


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